


From Deep Darkness into Light

by pikaace



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Colosseum & XD
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aziraphale is a trouble magnet, Because British, Crowley loves his Pokemon, Fluff and Angst, Galar Pokemon, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Violence, Novelization, Pokemon Battle, Pokemon Bonds, Protective Crowley (Good Omens), Rescue Missions, Slow Burn, but others too, insert national dex joke here, not till later though, of the game, stealing pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-06-29 19:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19836547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikaace/pseuds/pikaace
Summary: The Pokemon Colosseum AU nobody asked for.Crowley was a Rogue, or rather he was NOW. But that all changes when he stumbles across Aziraphale, some poor soul who found himself way over his head with a target on his back because of an ability he didn't even know he had.Before long, the pair finds themselves in the middle of a plot involving Pokemon being controlled by a sinister force and must work together to ensure their survival and the region of Orre.





	1. How to Quit Your Job

**Author's Note:**

> I kept seeing GO x Pokemon pictures, Pokemon Colosseum got into my head, and here we are :/

In the desert region of Orre, particularly in a place known as Dante’s Canyon (because of the unbearable heat, no relation to the man himself), a large building sat hidden in a nook of boulders. 

Inside, a notorious group of thugs known as The Demons lounged about, congratulating themselves with their latest catch, that being a tour bus full of unsuspecting trainers with plenty of Pokemon and riches to snag. 

However, the peace was interrupted by a loud bang, that being an explosion in one area of the building. The Demons all scrambled about in confusion as the building shook while the higher-ups, one being the Leader Beelzebub, barked orders to try and regain order.

Little did they know that this was just a distraction, as the real target was their lab, but not for the bombs. 

A figure wearing a stylish black outfit, sunglasses, and snakeskin shoes strolled towards the lab and kicked the door down. His golden eyes peeked over his sunglasses at the dummy before him, that held a large gauntlet. The man grinned and strolled towards his prize. 

Moments later, the man was running away from the building, the wrapped gauntlet under his arm. A few Demons tried to cut off his path, but a sudden gust of wind made quick work of them. The wind came from a Corviknight, flying through the air. The large raven circled, blowing down anyone that came towards the thief with strong gust attacks. 

The thief reached his car, a black Bentley, and tossed the gauntlet through the back window. He whistled and the Corviknight circled back, leaving the Demons be. The thief stepped on the gas and zoomed away, leaving the very angry Demon gang behind, just as the entire facility exploded. 

The explosion echoed throughout the canyon, allowing the Bentley to make a clean getaway, with Corviknight close behind before flying into the sky and vanishing. 

* * *

Crowley lounged in his car as he sped across the desert. That felt damn good. What better way to say ‘I quit’ than blowing the whole damn place up and stealing their best weapon? Pure art. 

Honestly, they should’ve seen it coming; Crowley was never a good guy, and they knew it, yet they still trusted him? Laughable. And now that he had the Demon’s big breakthrough in his grasp, he could do whatever he wanted without fear. 

Crowley glanced back at the package in his backseat. The boss had been making that thing for a while for a supposed buyer (planning a whole line of these things too), which meant the thing probably went for a lot of money. He definitely wouldn’t mind taking advantage of that if he found no use for the thing. He had no goal or destination, he just wanted to be left alone and not under someone else’s thumb. 

Crowley pulled up to an old Outskirt Stand, a small but only place for miles for one to get a decent drink, and parked the car behind a truck that was near the door. Crowley hopped out and sauntered up to the entrance just as two guys were coming out, talking loudly about how full they were from eating. 

Crowley slyly watched them get into the truck and noticed a large sack was lying in the back. Crowley shrugged and continued inside, the truck driving away. 

Crowley headed inside and took a seat at the bar, signaling the bartender. “One shot of whiskey.” The bartender nodded and got him his drink. As Crowley lifted his shot glass, the news blared on TV. 

_ ‘Breaking news! A huge explosion was reported in Dante canyon. Authorities investigation revealed the source to be the hideout of The Demons, a gang of notorious Pokemon thieves warranted for arrest. While it’s unclear what caused the explosion, Orre tourists will surely sleep better at night knowing that these terrible thieves have taken such a heavy hit.’ _

Crowley couldn’t stop himself from smirking, especially as he heard the other patrons murmur excitedly about it. Crowley looked at the destruction on the screen and raised his glass, “Cheers, wankers; and good bloody riddance.” He downed the glass, put his tab on the counter and headed back out to his car. 

Now, what to do? The sky was the limit now so long as he stayed out of the way of the Demons. Crowley revved up his car and decided he would stop at the next city that came into view; the places around here were known for battling, which was something Crowley could get behind. Battles meant prize money, and that was something Crowley could use. 

It wasn’t long before his destination came into view; Phenac City. Alright, not a bad first stop. The place had a colosseum and a battle facility; he could probably kill a few days here. Colosseum’s didn’t skimp on the prize money either and Phenac wasn’t exactly a slum. He could finally leave this hellhole if he played his cards right. 

Crowley pulled to a stop outside the city, making sure to park in a decently discreet location. He strolled towards the city entrance when something caught his eye. Was that the truck he saw at the stand earlier? Just as he made that realization, he spotted two familiar figures shuffling through the city entrance. 

Crowley normally didn’t eavesdrop, but these guys just...didn’t feel right. Crowley made his way closer and noticed that they were lugging that bag he saw in the back of the truck, struggling to hold each end between them. 

Then he heard something. It was faint; if it was windy he probably would’ve ignored it, but he heard it. A moan. From the bag. 

Crowley’s eyes narrowed, causing him to move closer. 

“C’mon, move faster!” 

“I’m trying, he’s heavy!” 

“There a problem here, mates?” Crowley asked loudly. 

The two thugs froze and looked at him like Deerling in the headlights. “Oh no, no trouble at all, we’re just uh,” The first one glanced at the other. “Making a delivery to the mayor!” 

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “Are you?” 

“Y-Yeah, it’s not your business anyway!” The second thug said. “So why don’t you just leave us alone and-” The bag squirmed again and this time there was a whimper. 

Crowley glared as the two men started to visibly panic. “Okay, how about you explain who or what you’ve _really_ got in there?” Crowley said dangerously. 

The first thug scoffed with false bravado, “Or what?” 

Crowley whistled sharply and Corviknight flew down and landed heavily between them. The large bird raised its wings threateningly, glaring at the two thugs with a loud cry, making them jump and drop the bag (the rogue hid a wince as it landed on the hard concrete). 

Crowley gave the thugs a look and they luckily made the right decision and booked it. “We won’t forget this!” They cried as their truck drove away. 

“Nicely done,” Crowley complimented Corviknight, giving him a pat on the back, and his eyes fell on the bag. Now he could really see that it was sluggishly moving. He knelt by the mouth of the sack; this certainly wasn’t an ideal way to steal a Pokemon, particularly a big one like this. 

Crowley teased the rope and yanked it off, opening and looking inside the bag. He squinted inside and started when he realized what he was looking at. Crowley swore under his breath and whipped out his pocket knife. 

He sliced the bag open, ripping it away to reveal a man whose wrists were bound behind him. He had bright blonde curls and was wearing a stylish but very out of date suit complete with a tartan collar and bow tie. 

However, what caught Crowley’s attention was the fact that his face was paler than his hair; if it weren’t for the man’s raspy breathing likely due to overheating and maybe the unceremonious drop on the hard ground he would’ve called him angelic. 

Crowley quickly sawed away the ropes that were so tight that the man’s hands had turned nearly purple. He sat him up and tapped his cheeks, “Hey, you with me?” He called. The man moaned softly, his eyelids trying and failing to open as he leaned heavily on him. Not a good sign. Crowley looked around and thankfully, the Pokemon Center was nearby. 

“C’mon,” Crowley grunted, hauling the man to his feet to have him lean on his shoulder and they hobbled to the small building.


	2. The Dangers Of Tourism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fated meeting occurs, and secrets are revealed. Trust issues also become prominent.

Crowley was a pretty patient guy. Now that he was free it wasn’t like he had any appointments to keep or anywhere to go. Which was why he found no problem lounging in the Pokemon Center like the nurse instructed, waiting for word on the angelic man he rescued. 

The nurse eventually reappeared and walked over to him, “You were smart to bring him here; he was severely dehydrated, close to a heat stroke.” Dressed like that he was asking for it. Who the hell wore a suit like that in a desert region? “He’s conscious now, and he’s asking to see you.” 

Crowley shrugged, “Why not?” He stood up and followed the nurse to one of the patient rooms. The nurse left once they reached the door and Crowley stepped inside. The man was propped up with pillows on the bed he occupied, but he seemed to be sitting up himself just fine. He still looked a bit haggard as he sipped water from a small glass, but he looked better than before. 

The man looked up at him and seemed a bit surprised before he smiled a bit. “Oh, um...hello.” 

“Hey,” Crowley nodded. 

“Are...you the one who rescued me?” He asked slowly as if expecting to be corrected. 

“Honestly, I just happened to be there,” Crowley admitted. “But yeah.” 

“Well, I...that was...very kind of you,” The man said, still looking quite a bit surprised. Crowley hummed and looked away; that was the usual response he got. The man cleared his throat. “Um, if you don’t mind, would you...tell me your name?” 

Crowley looked back at him “Crowley,” He answered. “Anthony J. Crowley, but I prefer the first one.” 

“Well, Crowley, I’m Aziraphale, a pleasure,” the man said. 

“Yeah, uh, same,” Crowley said simply. 

“Well then, er, Crowley,” Aziraphale spoke again. “Would you be so kind as to tell me where I am? I was on my way to Agate Village and...I don’t remember much after I was attacked by those ruffians.” 

Crowley blinked and gave a low whistle, “You’re in Phenac city, mate; wherever those two were taking you, it wasn’t there; they missed Agate by a long shot.” 

Aziraphale’s face fell. “Oh...oh dear…” 

“How exactly did you catch the eye of those two idiots?” Crowley asked, changing the subject. “I mean, I’ve seen guys rough up and rob tourists but kidnapping? That’s a new one.” 

“I don’t know,” Aziraphale frowned as he thought back. “I was walking, on my way to Agate Village and...there was a battle going on, yes that’s it!” 

“Okay,” Crowley said, gesturing for him to keep going. 

“I think I...stopped to watch for a moment when…” Aziraphale’s eyes widened. “I saw it…!”

“...Saw what?” Crowley asked after he paused. 

“A Pokemon but...it was odd,” Aziraphale said. 

“Odd?” Crowley repeated. 

“Yes, very peculiar,” Aziraphale continued. “It was...quite an aggressive little bugger and it-” He gasped. “It attacked someone!” 

Crowley shrugged, “That’s kinda how battles go-” 

“No, I mean it  _ rammed _ someone!” Aziraphale said, his panic growing. “It deliberately attacked an innocent bystander and it, it was, it had a shadow around it and, I, I must have said something because those men saw me, I, I tried to run but-!” 

“Okay okay, easy!” Crowley darted forward and put a hand on the man’s shoulder to calm him down. He looked downright terrified. Crowley hadn’t felt bad for someone in...a while, which prompted the next words to come out. “Look, I don’t know why this happened to you, but if you want help then take it up with the city’s mayor; he’s a pretty powerful guy.” 

Luckily, that seemed to do the trick. Aziraphale lit up with hope, “Oh…! Oh thank you! That’s a wonderful idea!” He said. “Um...if you don’t mind would you show me to the Mayor? Perhaps tomorrow after I’ve gotten some rest?” 

Well, Crowley wasn’t expecting that but, he surprisingly found he didn’t mind. Before he knew it he was shrugging and nodding, “Sure thing,” He said. “I’ll, uh, come here in the morning?”

Aziraphale nodded and squeezed Crowley’s arm with a smile, “Thank you so much…” 

“Yeah, sure…” Crowley turned to go to hide the heat rising to his cheeks. But he spared him one last glance before exiting the room. He left the Pokemon Center, seeing the sky was turning orange. This wasn’t exactly how he was planning for his day to go, but he did want to know why Orre natives were suddenly in the kidnapping business; damn his curiosity. And also his sympathy, of all things, for that Aziraphale fellow. 

At least if he dropped him off with the Mayor he’d be safe; dressed the way he was and how he acted, he wouldn’t last two minutes in the desert alone. He had seen tourists get eaten alive by the elements and thugs, but for some reason, he couldn’t bear seeing that happen to Aziraphale. Guess he was staying in Phenac for a bit. Thank goodness the inn’s here were comfy.

* * *

The next morning, Crowley entered the Pokemon Center to find Aziraphale patiently waiting in the lobby. He stood up when he saw him, looking quite chipper. “Well, you certainly look better,” Crowley commented. 

“I feel wonderful,” Aziraphale said with a smile. 

Crowley nodded, “Alright then, let’s go.” 

Aziraphale blinked. “Oh, a-alright!” 

Crowley exited the building, looked to the sky, and let out a whistle; it wouldn’t hurt to do a little reconnaissance. As he waited, he realized he was alone. He looked behind him to see Aziraphale peeking outside before shuffling out behind him, looking like he was about to jump out of his skin. Crowley gave him a look, “What’s wrong with you?” 

“Are you sure my kidnappers still aren't here?” Aziraphale asked softly, wringing his hands. 

“Pretty sure they sped off in a truck; scared ‘em off with some...intimidation.” 

“Intimidation?” It was then Corviknight decided to arrive. Aziraphale jumped with a small yelp as the large bird landed in front of them. 

“Yeah, intimidation,” Crowley repeated, resting a hand on the Pokemon’s side and giving its feathers a rub. “Keep up the good work, mate, you know the drill; let me know if you see those clowns from yesterday again.” Corviknight nodded and took flight again. 

“That...that’s yours?” Aziraphale asked, staring at the large bird’s retreating form. 

“For as long as I can remember,” Crowley nodded. 

“W-Why don’t you keep it in its Pokeball?” 

“He prefers to roam,” Crowley shrugged. “He always manages to show up though. Shall we?” He started walking and Aziraphale hurried after him. As they traveled, Aziraphale kept looking around at everything they passed; he was definitely from another region. 

“This place is beautiful,” Aziraphale said. “Not that I wasn’t expecting to see grand things here, but the water is certainly lovely.” 

“Mayor’s got a whole monopoly on the stuff,” Crowley said. “Kinda tacky, flaunting it like this, if you ask me.” 

“Well, it certainly makes the desert feel more alive,” Aziraphale said. “Seeing all this water is a nice change of pace.” 

Crowley shrugged, “Point taken; this way.” 

Aziraphale tore his gaze away from a fountain and hurried back to Crowley’s side. “Do you live nearby?” He asked. 

“Nope,” Crowley shook his head. 

“Oh, well...you just seem to know your way around…” 

“I’m a...Rogue,” Crowley answered. “This is a small region; you get to know your way around pretty fast.” 

“A Rogue; so you simply travel,” Aziraphale said. 

“For the most part,” Crowley said. “Do some odd jobs here and there, some battles, that sort of thing.” 

Aziraphale fiddled with the ring on his pinky, “Well...then I suppose I was lucky you were in the area when you...rescued me.” 

“I suppose you were,” Crowley agreed. They didn’t speak anymore as they arrived at the Mayor’s office. The secretary directed them to the right place upstairs and entered the office, where a decently aged man sat, scribbling on some papers. He was quite handsome, with short dark hair and amazing cheekbones. 

A nameplate on the desk read Mayor Lucifer. He looked up as the two approached his desk and smiled warmly. “Ah, you must be the new travelers I’ve heard about.” 

“That was fast,” Crowley raised an eyebrow. 

The Mayor stood up, “This is a small town; word travels quickly,” He said. “Anyway, welcome to Phenac City; my name is Lucifer, a pleasure.” He shook their hands firmly. 

“The pleasure is ours,” Aziraphale said with a smile. Crowley silently thanked Arceus that one of them was good with formalities; he never liked them. 

“So, what brings you gentlemen to my office today?” Lucifer asked. Crowley looked at Aziraphale and stepped aside, gesturing with his head to speak. This was for him after all, Crowley had nothing to say to the Mayor. 

Aziraphale looked a bit shaken from being suddenly put on the spot, but he cleared his throat, “Well, um, I-I’d like to report something...unusual that I saw.” 

“Unusual?” Lucifer asked. 

“Y-Yes, well, you see, I had just arrived in Pyrite City from Gateon Port. I was heading for Agate Village to visit friends,” Aziraphale explained. “A battle was going on and one of the trainers used a very odd Pokemon.” 

“Odd how?” Lucifer asked. 

“Well it was...it was...dark, shadowy even, for one thing, very aggressive. But the horrifying thing was that it attacked a bystander in the city!” Aziraphale said. “It almost attacked its trainer as well!” 

Lucifer nodded, face drawn with conviction, “Well, we certainly can’t have Pokemon running around that attack people at random,” He walked back towards his desk. “If you give me a description, I can send my people to keep a lookout for this trainer.” 

“Oh, thank you!” Aziraphale exclaimed. 

“You just gonna leave out the part about you being kidnapped?” Crowley spoke up. 

Lucifer whirled around, “Kidnapped?!” 

Aziraphale blinked, “Oh...oh yes, I...I can’t believe I forgot,” He said sheepishly. “The trainer with the strange Pokemon, he...he and his friend attacked me after I mentioned the strange Pokemon. I was heading to the bus stop and...I was kidnapped and dragged all the way out here,” He glanced at Crowley. “If it weren’t for my new friend, Crowley, I’m not sure where I would’ve ended up.” Crowley tensed at the term ‘friend’; he’d never really had a human friend before… 

“Well, this changes everything,” Lucifer said, looking very concerned. “I’ll order an investigation at once; while I have to leave the city tonight for some business, you’re more than welcome to stay here until we can find you proper transportation to Agate Village.” 

Aziraphale looked ecstatic, “Thank you so much, sir!” He exclaimed. “I certainly feel much safer already!” 

“Well, I’ll make sure it stays that way,” Lucifer said with a genuine smile. “And I should thank you for bringing this to my attention; Orre can be a dangerous place, so we need as much help as possible to keep citizens and tourists safe.” 

Crowley rolled his eyes behind his glasses; from the looks of it, his job was done. “Well, you seem to be taken care of,” He said, clapping Aziraphale on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you to your investigation.” 

“Oh, leaving so soon?” Lucifer asked. 

“I prefer to keep moving rather than stay in one place,” Crowley said. He exited the building without another word. He headed to the exit where his car was. But just as he reached the fountain in the plaza... 

“Crowley, wait!” 

Crowley stopped and turned to see Aziraphale chasing him. He stopped and waited until he caught up to him. “Forget something?” 

“I...Well, I never properly thanked you for yesterday” Aziraphale said. “So...if there’s anything I can do-” 

“Nope, we’re not doing that,” Crowley said right away, making Aziraphale frown. “I don’t do debts and whatnot; let’s just say you owe me one and be done with it.” 

“Isn’t that...somewhat the same thing?” 

“Yeah, except I’m not gonna ask you for anything specific,” Crowley said. ‘And it’s not like I’m ever gonna see you again.’ 

“Oh, I see,” Aziraphale said. “Well then...why don’t I treat you to lunch?” Crowley blinked, not expecting a response; this was usually the part where they parted ways and forgot about each other. “It’s not much but-” 

“Crowley!” A very familiar voice rang through the air, cutting off Aziraphale. 

Crowley inwardly groaned and turned around to see the two Demon members, a Poliwhirl and Kecleon by their sides, “Hastur, Ligur,” He forced a smile. “Long time no see.” 

“Don’t ‘long time’ us you traitor!” Ligur spit. “Where is it?!” 

“Where’s what?” 

“You know why we’re here!” Hastur yelled. “We ransacked your car and couldn’t find it; where’d you stash it?!” 

Crowley snorted, “Well since you touched my car, there’s no way I’m telling you now.” 

“Crowley, what is going on?” Aziraphale whispered frantically. 

Ligur leered at him. “Who’s the pansy?” Aziraphale looked offended but kept his mouth shut as the Kecleon took a few menacing steps towards him, making him stumble back behind Crowley.

“Back off, Ligur,” Crowley growled dangerously, making the Kecleon return to its rightful place. 

“Is that pansy your friend?” Hastur laughed. “Does he even know who you are?” 

“I said back off,” Crowley snarled, “You know I could take both of you on, no trouble.” 

“Where’s the bloody gauntlet, Crowley?” Hastur growled. “Maybe we should ask your pansy friend here where it is.” 

Without a word, Crowley pushed the button on a Pokeball in his jacket and an Absol materialized beside him. The Pokemon glared down the Demons and their Pokemon, despite the familiarity in its gaze. “Pick on someone your own size, prick,” Crowley spat. 

Crowley, of course, knew exactly where the gauntlet was. It was on his person. Meaning he was wearing it. It wasn’t active; it was just a little piece of metal on his shoulder until it was ready for use (which would likely be never), but hiding it right under their noses was the perfect plan. 

“Crowley, who are these people?” Aziraphale asked softly. “Do you know them?” 

Crowley glanced back at the other man and found he looked a bit panicked. “Just relax, I’ll handle this,” Crowley said softly. 

“Oh we know him alright,” Hastur said with a grin. “He used to be one of us; a Demon.” Crowley shot him a glare while Absol growled. 

“A...Demon?” Aziraphale repeated. 

“Doesn’t know about the Demons? Must be a tourist,” Ligur commented. 

“Course he is, look at what he’s wearing!” Hastur sneered. “No wonder he’s hanging out with a traitor!” 

“Traitor…?” Aziraphale looked at Crowley in shock. 

Ligur grinned, “Crowley here is a Pokemon thief like us,” He said. “He was the best Snagger on our team.”  Crowley growled under his breath. 

“Snagger?” Aziraphale repeated. “As in...stealing Pokemon?!” 

“That’s right,” Hastur said. “Is that why you stole our Snag Gauntlet? Want all the Pokemon to yourself?” 

“If that's the case, why don’t I just snag  _ your _ Pokemon?” Crowley challenged. 

“Wait...you have it? Here?” Hastur asked, his eyes growing wide. 

“I dunno, do I?” Crowley mocked. 

“You’re bluffing!” Ligur growled. 

“Well that depends; do you feel lucky?” Crowley grinned. 

“You won’t be laughing when you’re bleeding on the ground!” Hastur yelled. At that moment, Hastur’s Poliwhirl launched a Mud Shot attack. Crowley shoved Aziraphale out of the way while his Absol leaped to safety with ease from the attack. 

“Zap ‘em,” Crowley ordered. Absol spread its legs and hit both Pokemon with a Thunderbolt. Poliwhirl keeled over immediately, but Kecleon stood its ground. “Stone Edge.” Rocks appeared around Absol and they shot at Kecleon, hitting it dead on. The Kecleon fell next to Poliwhirl, defeated. 

“Still haven’t mastered that Color Change ability yet, Ligur?” Crowley asked, giving Absol a pet to praise it. “You really should get on that if you want a chance of winning...well anything.” 

Absol took a threatening step forward. “Absol!” It snapped, making Hastur and Ligur jump. 

“That means ‘get lost’,” Crowley clarified. 

Hastur growled, “You’re dead meat, Crowley! Mark my words!” The two hurried off, holding their defeated Pokemon. Crowley sighed and begrudgingly turned to look at Aziraphale. As expected, the blonde looked anything but calm like he did before. He looked just like everyone else did when they found out he was a Demon. 

“Welp, now you know,” Crowley said, keeping his cool. 

“You’re...a gang member?” Aziraphale asked as if clarifying what he just saw. “A...Demon?” 

“Not anymore,” Crowley corrected. “I just quit today.” 

“So...it’s all true,” Aziraphale said tightly, his hands curled into fists. “You were part of a gang and you...you stole Pokemon!” 

“Only wild ones,” Crowley clarified. “If it was a trainer’s Pokemon we just destroyed the Pokeball and took it from there.” 

Aziraphale spluttered, “That doesn’t make it any better!” He cried before pointing to Absol. “Did you steal that Pokemon, as well as that large one in the sky?!” 

Crowley stiffened and stormed towards Aziraphale, making the other man back up and almost topple into the fountain had Crowley not grabbed him by the front of his waistcoat. “My Pokemon are my own,” Crowley said dangerously. “They were with me long before I became a Demon and will stay with me long after. Don’t  _ ever  _ assume they don’t want to be with me.” 

As if to punctuate his statement, Crowley’s Absol moved to stand loyally by his side, moving Crowley’s free hand so that it rested on its head. Crowley pulled Aziraphale back up, safely away from the water before releasing him. 

Aziraphale huffed and straightened out his clothes, “Very well, let’s say I believe you; then what was that...Snag Gauntlet they mentioned?” 

“It’s a gauntlet that modifies Pokeballs,” Crowley said. “It allows the wearer to capture other trainer’s Pokemon in battle.” 

Aziraphale looked mortified, “But that’s...that’s impossible!” He cried. “Such a terrible thing can’t exist!” 

Crowley shrugged, “Hell if I know, I don’t even know if the thing works,” He said. “It never got tested and I blew up the lab before they could; for all I know the thing’s a piece of junk.” 

“And what exactly do you plan on doing with it?” Aziraphale asked angrily. 

“I just said I don’t know if it even works!” Crowley snapped. “You really think I’m going to waste my time trying to use something that looks like a glorified robot arm?!” 

Aziraphale stood his ground, “Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore,” He said coldly. “I thought I knew you, but that’s clearly not the case!” 

Crowley snorted. “I’ve barely known you a day, Aziraphale,” He said sharply. “Yeah, I’m bad, kind of not good, whatever you want to call it, but don’t play the victim when  _ I _ know next to nothing about  _ you _ .” That seemed to get Aziraphale to back off, but Crowley snorted. “Please, like you could do anything bad…” He turned to go, relishing how off guard Aziraphale looked. “Try to stay out of trouble, Aziraphale,” He said. “The Mayor should keep you safe; good luck getting to Agate Village or whatever.” 

Crowley sauntered back towards his car, his glasses hiding the hurt in his eyes. Absol walked by his side until he reached the Bentley, where he recalled it to its Pokeball. Had he glanced back, he would’ve seen Aziraphale almost chase after him again. 

Aziraphale stood his ground and wrung his hands before he headed back to the Mayor’s house. “I’ll find a way to Agate village tomorrow…” He told himself. But as he went over plans in his head, a voice kept repeating the same question. _‘If he’s so bad, why did he help you?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crowley's team:  
> Corviknight  
> Absol  
> ???
> 
> (He only has three atm, we'll meet the third one next ;))


	3. Encounter with the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separating probably wasn't the best idea, as the rabbit hole Aziraphale has found himself in gets deeper, dragging Crowley along with him.

Crowley nursed a shot of vodka as he sat at the bar of the Outskirt stand. This day certainly had taken a rotten turn. Why did the Demons have to always step in and ruin his life at all the worst possible moments? Well, it’s not like he wanted to stay in this hellhole of a region anyway. 

He touched the gauntlet hidden under his clothes; maybe someone in Pyrite or the Under would take it off his hands for a good price. Enough for a one-way boat ticket out of here. 

“Hey,” Crowley waved over the bartender. 

“What can I do you for?” The bartender said. 

“Heard you sell Pokeballs; that true?” Crowley asked, keeping his voice low. 

“Pokeballs?” The bartender frowned. “You know there’s no need for Pokeballs here.” 

“Not for here, planning on leaving the region soon,” Crowley muttered. “Wanna be prepared. 

The bartender nodded, “I gotcha.” He pulled out a box full of dusty Pokeballs. “Anyone asks though, you didn’t buy ‘em from me.” Crowley nodded, really not caring. No sooner had Crowley gazed down to choose which ones he wanted, the news blared up. 

_ ‘Breaking news; reports have reason to believe that Phenac City is under attack.'  _ Crowley's attention was suddenly drawn to the screen.  _ ‘A group of people in odd clothing have completely cut off the city; while the Mayor is away on business, they’ve strangely allowed the citizens to evacuate while taking over the Mayor’s office.’ _

Crowley’s blood ran cold as the cameras shakily showed the citizens of Phenac filing out of the city, and didn’t see a head of blonde hair among them. And they were at the Mayor’s place. He then heard a familiar screech from outside, Corviknight’s shadow visible from the window. 

“Son of a…!” Crowley slammed his money for his drink on the counter, the Pokeballs forgotten and bolted to his Bentley. He should’ve known those guys would come back! 

_ ‘Why do you even care so much?’ _ A voice in his head said. 

“I don’t fucking know,” Crowley muttered to himself as he sped across the moonlit desert. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Aziraphale was the only person who seemed to put up with him and see him as something that wasn’t a delinquent (at least at first)? 

_ ‘You like him.’ _

“Fuck off!” Crowley snapped at nobody as he skidded to a halt a good distance outside the city. The civilians were already gone, likely finding refuge somewhere else. Some strange masked guards were at the entrance, forcing Crowley to have to climb over the wall to get in.

Crowley ran through the eerily empty town and into the Mayor’s place. He bolted up the stairs and burst into his office where he was greeted by multiple sights. A short, bald, wormy looking man stood in the middle of the room with one of Aziraphale’s attackers, along with three men wearing what looked like strange armor with masks. 

Aziraphale was sitting on the ground by the Mayor’s desk, his wrists bound in front of him. One of his previous kidnappers was holding him still as he struggled to get away. His eyes met Crowley’s and they grew wide, and his captor spotted him as well. 

“Mr. Sandalphon! That’s him!” He pointed rudely at Crowley. “He stole the target from us!” 

“Pretty sure you stole him first,” Crowley shot back. “And would it kill you to learn the name of the person you’re so rudely abducting?” He spared Aziraphale a look, who seemed shocked that he was even here. 

The wormy guy, Sandalphon, turned and gazed at Crowley, who in turn, felt a tad uneasy. This guy had a kind of psychopathic serial killer look about him, and he wasn’t sure why. 

Sandalphon sneered at him, “Really? You couldn’t take down one measly rogue? How pathetic.” 

“To be fair, they didn’t put up much of a fight,” Crowley sniped. 

“T-That was a fluke and you know it!” One of the thugs yelled. 

“Whatever makes you feel better, mate,” Crowley said condescendingly. “Now why don’t you just let my friend go and we can all go on our merry way.” 

_ ‘Friend…?’ _ Aziraphale couldn’t help but think in surprise. 

Sandalphon chuckled, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” He gave a slimy smile. “I do hate pacifism, but your friend here has caught our interest, and we don’t plan on letting him go,” He glanced at Aziraphale. “So if you just turn around and leave us be, we won’t hold any hard feelings.” 

“What do you even want him for anyway?” Crowley asked. “I mean Orre’s reputation is bad enough, you really wanna add ‘kidnapping tourists’ to the list of things wrong with this place?” 

“He’s much more than a measly tourist,” Sandalphon grinned. “And his very presence is a danger to our plans, so we’re simply...keeping him out of the way.” 

Crowley raised an eyebrow and looked at Aziraphale, “Geez, what did you do to piss them off?” 

“I’ve done nothing!” Aziraphale exclaimed in irritation. “I don’t even know them! A-And how do I know that these men aren’t old gangmates of yours?!” 

Crowley gaped, “You think I’d work with morons like these guys?! I’ve never felt more offended in my life! And after I drove all this way to get you...” 

“You...you what?” Aziraphale blinked, and Crowley softly swore; he hadn’t meant to say that part out loud…! “You...came for-”

“W-Well what’d you expect? You managed to get kidnapped in broad daylight, figures that when the news starts screaming about an attack, I find you getting into more trouble!” Crowley resolved quickly. ,

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Sandlphon said, clearly not amused by the side bickering. “I expect you both back with our prisoner without any more mishaps, or you will regret it.” 

“Y-Yessir!” The thugs said as Sandlphon walked past Crowley and out the door, followed by two of the three masked guards. They would probably have to deal with him later. For now, Crowley was focused on getting Aziraphale out. Hopefully, the remaining guard wouldn’t cause any trouble.

“Your big bird friend can’t save you this time,” The thug sneered. 

Crowley shrugged, “I prefer not to use him inside; don’t wanna mess up the furniture, and his wings cramp easily.” 

“Let’s see how good you really are!” The thug released a Gossifleur. Crowley’s hand headed for his own Pokemon but Aziraphale’s eyes widened. 

“Crowley!” Aziraphale cried. “That’s it! That’s the Pokemon I-” 

His captor clapped a hand over Aziraphale’s mouth. “Shut it, pansy!” Crowley made a face; it didn’t look very odd- 

Crowley cut off his train of thought as he got a good look at the Gossifleur. Specifically, its expression that looked far more violent than any Pokemon he’d ever seen. “Uh...is that thing looking a bit more pissed than usual, or is it just me?” 

“Shadow Rush!” 

“Shadow wha-” Without missing a beat, the Pokemon surrounded itself in a shadowy haze and shot towards Crowley. The rogue gasped for breath as the Gossifluer hit his chest dead on, sending him flying into the wall.

“Ah...fuck…!” Crowley wheezed, sliding to the ground. He looked up only to roll out of the way just in time and he pulled out a Pokeball. Crowley threw the ball and an Arbok came charging out. “Use Wrap…!” 

The Arbok wrapped its long body around the small Pokemon and squeezed it. Gossifleur squealed and squirmed angrily while Crowley got to his feet, holding his aching middle. 

“What the fuck…?” He gazed at the smaller Pokemon; it looked angry. In fact, it looked ready to kill! It didn’t just look wrong on Gossifleur, any Pokemon with that expression would look out of place and terrifying!

“Crowley!” Aziraphale tried to speak while avoiding the thug covering his mouth again. “Be careful, it...it will attack y-mmph!” 

“I said shut up!” 

Gossifleur squirmed even more, and yellow powder started to emerge from the flower on its head. 

“Shit…!” Crowley recognized the Stun Spore. “Arbok, throw it!” Arbok tossed the little Pokemon against the wall, but the Pokemon got up, seemingly unscathed. “Poison Sting!” Crowley ordered. Arbok shot poisonous needles from its mouth. 

The thug chuckled gleefully, “Shadow Rush! Again!” The Gossifleur charged, surrounded by shadows, broke through the Poison Sting and slammed into Arbok, sending it to the ground. The Poison Sting didn’t even scratch it. 

“Shit...what the fuck is this?!” Crowley yelled. 

“We call ‘em Shadow Pokemon,” The thug said smugly. “Pretty cool, huh?” 

Crowley grit his teeth as Arbok struggled to get up. “You okay?” He called. Arbok hissed and slowly became upright again. “Atta girl…” Crowley muttered. Now they just had to land a hit without getting slammed. 

“Hmph, one more attack and you’re history,” The thug sneered. “Get ‘em Gossifleur!” Gossifleur surrounded itself in shadow again and charged, but Crowley and Arbok were ready. 

“Arbok, Acid!” Crowley yelled. “Drench the bastard!” Arbok twisted around the smaller Pokemon and shot a pool of poisonous liquid at its back. Gossifluer cried out as the poison sizzled on its body.  “Looks like I only need one more hit now,” Crowley said smugly. 

The thug looked livid, “Shadow Rush! Shadow Rush!” The Gossifleur didn’t move. “Hey! Are you listening! I said Shadow Rush you stupid-” 

The Gossifleur let out a cry and charged with another shadowy attack. However, this time, it flew right towards its own trainer. The thug barely managed to dive out of the way, “Hey, what the hell are you-” 

The Pokemon cried out angrily and attacked again and again, zooming around the room, its eyes glazed over and barely focused. Before Crowley could even think about what to do, Arbok cried out as she took another direct hit from Gossifleur, sending her crashing into the wall. 

“Shit!” Crowley recalled Arbok as fast as he could but the Gossifleur continued to run rampant. Now what?! The thing was going crazy with an attack that he could barely counter! He couldn’t possibly beat it without getting killed first and he wasn’t going to put Arbok or Absol in the line of fire! What else could he- 

Crowley felt the ting of metal on his shoulder as he moved out of the way again. Honestly at this point, what did he have to lose? Crowley slammed the button on his chest under his shirt and felt the Snag Gauntlet expand and cover his dominant arm. He felt a bit of it emerge from his sleeve and he fumbled in his jacket pocket until he found it. One empty Pokeball; one shot at survival. 

“What the hell is that thing?” The thug exclaimed. 

Crowley took advantage of the confusion and loaded the Pokeball into the gauntlet. The modified ball shot into his hand smoothly, and Crowley hurled it at the Gossifleur. A strange light emerged as the Pokeball opened, almost looking like a giant hand, and the Pokemon was sucked inside. 

Whoa...it was that easy? He didn’t even have to hit the Pokemon! Crowley tensed as the Pokeball started to shake, the button blinking red. 

Everyone held their breath as it shook, one...two...three...click! 

The button blinked green, and lay still, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Crowley stared in shock and relief as the Pokeball flew back into his gauntlet hand. It worked...the stupid thing actually worked!

“W...Wha...what the hell did you just do?!” The thug yelled. 

“I have no idea,” Crowley admitted, pocketing the newly stolen Pokemon. Seeing his chance, Crowley hurried over and gave Aziraphale’s captor a good kick in the face, sending him back with a howl of pain, freeing his prisoner. 

The thug looked around helplessly until they fell on the equally stunned remaining guard. “D-Don’t just stand there! Do something!”

With a snap and a swish, Crowley sliced through the ropes on Aziraphale’s wrists with his knife. “C’mon!” Crowley yanked him to his feet just as the masked guard released a Grookey. Aziraphale paled, and if the rabid look on the small Pokemon’s face was anything to go by, Crowley had to assume this was another bad one.

The Grookey let out a maniacal screech and leaped towards them. Crowley ducked, yanking Aziraphale down with him so the Pokemon flew over them. Without missing a beat, Crowley dragged Aziraphale out the door and slammed it shut behind them just as the Grookey lunged for them; they had to get out of this town! 

Crowley grabbed Aziraphale’s hand and ran, rushing out of the building and into the dark streets. But it wasn’t long before they skidded to a halt as a Scorbunny suddenly hopped in their path, the little rabbit baring its fangs in a very out of character manner. They tried to turn another direction only to be stopped by a Sobble that looked ready to murder something. 

“Oh good lord…!” Aziraphale cried. “They’re everywhere!” 

“Fuck…!” Crowley pulled Aziraphale in the only clear direction that led to the main entrance of Phenac. However, the Grookey was faster, having run ahead and planted itself at the entrance, shrieking angrily and baring its fangs. 

Crowley felt Aziraphale trying to stop, but Crowley gave his hand a sharp yank, “Keep running!” 

“Are you mad?!” Aziraphale exclaimed. The Grookey began to bolt towards them. 

“No, but I’m kinda making this up as I go!” Crowley admitted. 

Aziraphale looked horrified. “Are you saying you don’t have a plan?!” 

“Of course I have a plan!” The Scorbunny and Sobble were right on their tail, ready to jump and pounce.

“Then do something!” Aziraphale cried desperately. Crowley put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly; a shadow flew over them. Crowley yanked Aziraphale closer to him and raised a hand. Corviknight flew down and grabbed Crowley’s hand with its talons. 

Crowley wrapped his free arm around Aziraphale’s waist, making the other man almost stumble. 

“What are you-?!” 

“Hang on!” Corviknight flapped its wings and their feet left the ground. Aziraphale yelped and wrapped his arms around Crowley as they were lifted into the air, the small Pokemon just barely scraping his shoes with their paws. 

The Raven Pokemon slowed their ascent as they safely cleared the wall and began gliding towards Crowley’s car. Corviknight lowered them to the ground and they literally hit the ground running, Crowley barely keeping Aziraphale upright from the shaky landing. “Get in the car!” 

Aziraphale scrambled into the passenger’s side while Crowley got in the driver’s seat, revving up the car and recalling Corviknight to its Pokeball. The Pokemon may prefer roaming, but Crowley wasn’t leaving it out in the open with blood-lusting Pokemon on the loose. Aziraphale grabbed the handle as Crowley floored the gas pedal and sped into the desert, leaving their pursuers behind. The Pokemon chased them for a bit but they quickly shrank out of sight. 

* * *

Everything became quiet after a few moments, save for the Bentleys engine roaring. Crowley glanced behind them to make sure no one was following and let out a breath of relief. That was too damn close; he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so on edge. He then remembered he had a passenger for once in his car. He looked over at Aziraphale and grimaced. The man was white as a sheet and was wringing his hands that were visibly shaking as he stared at the dashboard. This was probably the most action he had seen in his life. 

“You alright?” When he didn’t answer, Crowley reached out and touched his shoulder.

Aziraphale startled with a sharp gasp before remembering where he was. His nerves were shot. “I-I, um, y-yes, I...I’m alright...or...I will be…” 

Crowley gave him a sympathetic look behind his glasses before focusing on the road again. At that moment, Crowley spied the Outskirt Stand coming up down the road, the lights cutting through the desert night. Yeah, drinks sounded amazing after all the shit they just went through. He pulled to a stop in front of it, making Aziraphale glance around. 

“C’mon,” Crowley jerked his head as he opened his door. “I’ll buy you a drink.” 

* * *

Alcohol seemed to help with Aziraphale’s nerves. Crowley went the extra mile and got them a bottle of wine rather than the cheaper beer or whiskey and they sat in an empty booth in the Outskirt Stand where two hours had already quickly passed. Aziraphale nursed his glass, taking multiple sips every few seconds. 

“What’s become of my life?” Aziraphale moaned, already a bit tipsy. “One moment I’m just going along on my merry way in Pyrite City and then I’m...stuffed in a bag, dragged to the middle of nowhere, and rescued by an...ex-convict!” 

“I appreciate you including the ‘ex’ part,” Crowley commented, downing his glass while Aziraphale poured himself a third. “Though I prefer ex-Demon, sounds cooler.” 

“Why...why did you come back?” Aziraphale asked, already slurring a bit. “I know you said before you were just there but...what about after?” He leaned forward on the table. “You could have just...left me but you didn’t. Why?” 

Crowley shrugged, starting to feel a bit of a buzz himself. “I dunno, you were just...all scared and touristy looking.” 

“Touristy?” Aziraphale asked. 

“Ah, you know, don’t know where you are, what to do, confused,” Crowley waved his hand. “Guess I just felt bad.” 

“Oh…” Aziraphale took another drink. 

“And I...I like you,” Crowley continued, finishing his fourth glass. “Most people don’t even like...give me the time of bloody day cause I look like a...bad guy, but you...you stuck with me; I like that.” 

“Well you, you saved my life,” Aziraphale countered pointing at him. “Not a lot of p-people would do that, you know, don’t...like me.” 

“Whaaaat? Noooo!” Crowley exclaimed. “You look so nice!”

Aziraphale waved his hand with a bashful drunk smile, “Stoppp,” 

“No you do,” Crowley insisted. “You look like the...nicest guy ever. No one around here looks nice at all.” 

“Well, y-you’re nice too,” Aziraphale slurred. 

“Shaddup.” 

“You are!” 

“Am not, shaddap!” They both refilled their glasses. 

“Wait, did you say you were in Pyrite City before you got kid...kidna...bagged?” Crowley suddenly asked. 

Aziraphale nodded, “Was supposed to...take a bus or s-something to Agate Village from there.” 

Crowley leaned forward, “Well then...then we should go there or something!” He said. “There’s like...police there, they could...track down whoever took you and…” He fumbled in his pockets. “...and make sure there aren’t anymore of...these little buggers!” Crowley roughly placed Gossifleur’s Pokeball on the table.

Aziraphale made a face, “Ugh, it still has the...the black all over it, ergh.” 

“Oh yeah, w-what exactly did you see?” Crowley asked, poking the ball. “W-What makes this thing so special?” 

Aziraphale frowned in thought, likely trying to find the right words through his drunken haze. “It’s like...smoke,” Aziraphale said, taking another sip of wine. “The Pokemon it’s...it’s all smokey and, and evil, it’s...spooky.”

Crowley pouted, “I like spooky; why can’t I see that?” He asked. “Looks like a normal bugger to me.” 

“How should I know, I...I didn’t even know this was a thing I could do!” Aziraphale exclaimed. 

“Well, then how is it doing that?” Crowley shot back; thankfully the stand was empty so no one could hear their rapidly rising voices. 

Aziraphale shook his head, ”Well my mum used to...tell me a story; it said um when a Pokémon closes...something it...becomes evil, something something, shadows,” He shook his head. “I don’t know, it’s been years; just a stupid fairy tale…” Crowley shrugged as if that was a valid response and downed his glass once again. 

“What can I do now?” Aziraphale whined. “I’m a wanted man, and I’m...helpless!” 

“Ehh, you can stick with me,” Crowley said, shaking his head. “We could, like...work together or something.” 

Aziraphale gave him a look, “You sure you’re not a...a bad guy anymore?” 

“I s-swear it,” Crowley hiccupped, holding out his hand. After multiple attempts due to blurry vision and swaying limbs, the two managed to shake. 

“Maybe we should...talk more when we’re not drunk,” Aziraphale murmured. 

“Yeah, good idea…” Crowley grunted. They drank the entire bottle completely dry. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta say, I think drunk Aziraphale and Crowley are my favorite versions of these characters now
> 
> Also, yep, Crowley's third Pokemon is Arbok, obviously. Had to give him a snake at least. Also, hope you enjoyed the Galar cameos!


	4. Dark Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley and Aziraphale head to Pyrite City and discover that the city may be hiding a dark secret.

The sun rose over the Orre desert, banishing the cold with its slowly growing heat. Aziraphale stirred as the sun tapped his eyelids. He was lying somewhere stiff but not exactly uncomfortable. Something was covering him as well, keeping him warm. What happened yesterday…? 

Memories came back in a flash, particularly of the two men grabbing him and he shot upright with a sharp gasp. His feet hit something that was directly over them which was followed by a grunt and a curse. Aziraphale blinked as he realized he was lying in the backseat of a car. Crowley’s car. Aziraphale’s feet had hit the front seat which had been reclined for Crowley to sleep. 

“Good morning to you, too,” Crowley grumbled, giving the man a glare behind his glasses as he rubbed his head (had he worn those all night?). 

Aziraphale winced as his head throbbed a bit from the wine last night, “Ah, I’m sorry…” He said. “I suppose I forgot where I was for a moment.”

Crowley grunted and slumped back in his reclined seat, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes and shield them from the rising sun. Aziraphale squeezed his eyes shut as he realized just how bright it was getting and lay back down, curling up under his blanket while Crowley left, muttering something about water. 

Aziraphale massaged his temples, willing the pain away until Crowley came back with two water bottles. “Not the best hangover cure, but it’s better than nothing,” Crowley said. 

Aziraphale slowly sat up and accepted one of the bottles with a nod of thanks and took a sip, his blanket sliding off him and he glanced down at it. Aziraphale found himself heating up a bit as he realized his ‘blanket’ was Crowley’s jacket. He vaguely remembered being quite cold the night before… 

Aziraphale’s cheeks dusted pink as he gathered up the jacket and handed it back to Crowley, who was back in his reclined seat. “T-Thank you,” He muttered. Crowley hummed and took it back. 

Thankfully, the Outskirt Stand also doubled as a place for food. Not the best, but enough to quell any hunger. The two ate their breakfast at a booth in silence. 

“So uh...you remember that talk we had last night?” Crowley asked, finally breaking the silence. 

Aziraphale nodded, “Most of it; though a few details are a bit fuzzy…” He took another bite.

Crowley fiddled with his fork, “Soooo...should we do it?” 

Aziraphale swallowed and dabbed his lips with his napkin. “Do what?” 

“Go to Pyrite City, figure out what the hell’s going on with these...what did that prick call it...Shadow Pokemon, that’s it!” 

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Aziraphale asked warily. 

“If either of us were alone, yeah,” Crowley said. “But I know the place pretty well. I know people.” 

“Because you were a delinquent?” Aziraphale asked. 

“Never gonna let that go, are you?” Crowley muttered. 

Aziraphale sighed and put his fork down, “But what if there are more of them?” He asked. 

Crowley hummed, “Good question,” He said. “Battling them is hard as fuck, but…” He pulled out Gossifleur’s Pokeball. “Catching them seemed to work.” 

“You mean stealing them,” Aziraphale said dryly. 

“Hey, stealing this thing saved both our lives,” Crowley responded hotly.

“I know,” Aziraphale snapped. “That’s what bothers me…” 

Crowley rolled his eyes, “Oh please, that asshole didn’t deserve to have any Pokemon on him; if you ask me, this little bastard’s better off with us, maybe we can teach it some manners.” He glared at the ball that was rattling in his hand with annoyance. 

“Teach it…” Aziraphale said softly. “Wait...that’s it!” 

“What’s it?” 

“The Pokemon...that, that fairy tale my mum would tell me, I remember now!” Aziraphale said. “She said that Pokemon who close the doors to their hearts become powerful in the shadows but ruthless in battle. And the only way to open a Pokemon’s heart is by battling and bonding with it!” 

Crowley wasn’t following. “...Eh?” 

“The reason it’s acting this way is that its forgotten what real battling is like!” Aziraphale continued. “How it involves the bond between Pokemon and trainer! If you battle with this Gossifleur, help it remember what battling is supposed to be, then it should return to normal!” 

“Battle with it,” Crowley repeated as if he hadn’t heard right. “Battle with this little bastard and risk getting pummeled if it doesn’t listen.” 

Aziraphale shrugged, “Well...that’s one way to put it,” He said. “But besides, you’re a skilled trainer...surely it can’t be that hard.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Crowley looked at the Pokeball in thought, “Being around normal Pokemon might help too,” He pondered. “And it might be good to use this against its creators, especially if they have more. This could be a lucky break.” 

Aziraphale’s eyes fell on the gauntlet that was peeking out of Crowley’s jacket, “That machine...I still can’t believe it worked.”

“Same,” Crowley agreed. “I’m really glad I nicked it now.” Aziraphale looked at it nervously, and Crowley sighed, “What?” 

“Now that it works, what...what will you use it for?” 

“Honestly before all this, I’d have probably sold it,” Crowley said, examining it on his arm. “But now that I know it works...that changes things; I dunno I’ll figure it out.” Aziraphale said nothing. “Oh don’t give me that look! Ugh, okay, look, I promise to only use this thing to capture Shadow Pokemon, that’s all,” Crowley said. 

Aziraphale looked at him warily, “Promise?” 

“Cross my heart,” Crowley said and held out his hand. “Don’t leave me like this, I wouldn’t be doing this if you were any other person.” 

Aziraphale’s face softened; for some reason, he believed Crowley. He took a deep breath and shook his hand, “I’ll hold you to this.” 

“I’d be shocked if you didn’t,” Crowley smirked. 

“Why do I feel like I just made a shady deal…?” Aziraphale muttered.

“Ehh, sounds too evil,” Crowley said. “Let’s call it...an arrangement; you tell me which Pokemon are evil, then I snag ‘em; then you can make sure I’m not ‘accidentally’ stealing regular Pokemon and in return…I’ll make sure those bastards don’t snag _you_.”

Aziraphale frowned in thought, “I suppose that would be the best way to keep an eye on you,” He said. “And...I trust you more than anyone in this region at the moment.”

“Then we agree.” Crowley got up and walked to the bar. “Hey, bartender!” 

The bartender approached, “What can I do for you?” 

“You still sell Pokeballs?” 

“Yeah?” 

Crowley slammed money on the counter, “I’m gonna need all the balls you got; we might have a lot of Pokemon to catch.”

* * *

The Bentley sped through the desert, making a beeline for Pyrite city. The car ride was mostly silent once again, with Crowley’s eyes on the road and Aziraphale looking out the window, looking like he was deep in thought. 

“Crowley, I…” Aziraphale finally spoke. “I-I owe you an apology…” 

Crowley glanced at him, “What for?” 

Guilt filled Aziraphale’s face. “For...for thinking you were just some...ruffian.” 

Crowley shrugged, “You didn’t know I used to be a Demon.” 

“But I shouldn’t have judged you so harshly,” Aziraphale responded. “You saved me earlier, helped me, and I...turned you away.” He fidgeted. “And even after last night, when you saved me again, I...I still have trouble trusting you, when I shouldn’t!” 

Crowley sighed, “It’s nothing new, don’t worry about it.” 

“But, Crowley, I-” 

“Hey, you’re here now, aren’t you?” Crowley asked. “No point worrying about something you said back then.” 

“...You called me your friend,” Aziraphale said softly. “Back in Phenac City.” 

“You did too, and you did it first,” Crowley responded. “I was just returning the favor...never really had a friend before.” 

A small smile pulled at Aziraphale’s face as he slightly remembered what Crowley told him last night. “Crowley...I was very wrong about you,” He said. “Deep down, you really are a nice person.” 

Crowley looked like he just got slapped. “...Never say that to me again.” 

“Very well, but I won’t lie.” Crowley rolled his eyes while Aziraphale chuckled. 

They arrived at the outskirts of Pyrite city, Crowley parking behind a decently sized boulder to hide the car. Leaving vehicles out in the open was a disaster waiting to happen. They got out of the car and Aziraphale gazed at Pyrite City, his gaze hardening. Crowley took out two Pokeballs and released Corviknight, who promptly took flight, and Absol, who stood vigilantly by his side. 

“Backup,” Crowley said. “You never know who might be lurking.” Aziraphale nodded. “Why don’t you let out your Pokémon?” Crowley suggested. “You’ll feel better having them out and ready to go.” 

Aziraphale’s eyes widened, “Um…” He looked away. 

“What’s wrong, just let ‘em out, I bet they’ll appreciate the fresh air,” Crowley persisted. Aziraphale said nothing and still didn’t look at him. Crowley hummed. “Those kidnappers of yours took ‘em, eh?” 

Aziraphale looked down and softly muttered. “...don’t have one…” 

Crowley blinked. “You what?!” 

“I don’t have one!” Aziraphale cried in exasperation. “I was never good around Pokemon, and I never found one that truly took to me, and, and every time I try they either run or attack me!” 

Crowley stared at him, “So you tried walking through Pyrite City, alone, with no Pokemon, dressed like that?” 

Aziraphale frowned at the last comment, “I have standards.” 

“Standards that will get you killed, more like…” Crowley grumbled, rolling his eyes. He started towards the city. “Try to stay close, angel.” 

Aziraphale started after him but blinked as the words caught up to him, making him flush slightly. “Angel?” He muttered, before hurrying after Crowley.

* * *

Crowley hadn’t been to Pyrite in ages, but from the looks of it, not much had changed. Just as ugly and run down as he remembered. Aziraphale fiddled with his fingers as he stayed as close as possible to Crowley and Absol without getting in the way. 

Crowley felt a bit bad, seeing Aziraphale look this scared and squeezed his wrist. “Hey,” He said softly. “Our Arrangement, remember? I won’t let anyone take you.” Aziraphale met his eyes and nodded, feeling a bit calmer. “Now, do you remember where you were last time?” Crowley asked. 

Aziraphale looked around and pointed straight ahead of them, “The square there,” He said. “That’s where the battle happened.” 

Crowley nodded; Pyrite Square was the city’s main battling area. Lots of space and not a lot of breakable objects. It was a little pocket of chaos inside a seemingly calm city. 

“I take it you know your way around here as well?” Aziraphale asked as Absol walked ahead, scouting for danger. 

“Of course,” Crowley said. “This place may look like shit, but it’s the most lively place in the region, unlike Phenac.” 

Aziraphale looked around and couldn’t help but agree; compared to Phenac, so many more people seemed to populate it. On the downside, those people around them looked shady and dangerous, bad decisions waiting to happen. Aziraphale was starting to wonder how he _had_ managed to stay in this city for as long as he did before the incident. “Are you sure coming back here was a good idea?” He asked. 

“It’ll be fine; I know the right people here, it’s perfectly safe.” 

“Oi! You two!” Aziraphale sucked in a breath while Crowley rolled his eyes at the familiar. “Identify yourselves, strangers!” Aziraphale and Crowley turned to see an elderly looking man wearing a uniform. 

Crowley lowered his glasses, revealing his eyes, “Sergeant Shadwell,” He greeted. 

The uniformed man blinked, “Oh, Mr. Crowley; I didnae recognize you!” He grinned. “What brings you back to my city?” 

“Quite a few things, actually,” Crowley said before lowering his voice, “Things that we should discuss in private?” 

Shadwell’s face became serious again and he nodded when his eyes fell on Aziraphale. “What about him?” He jabbed a finger at him suspiciously. 

“He’s with me,” Crowley said. He barely realized that he was still holding Aziraphale’s wrist and he let go. 

Shadwell seemed satisfied and led them to a small police office. “Make yourselves at home,” He said as he walked to the front desk. The place was very run down, with only a handful of holding cells. The walls were plastered with wanted posters, most of them being Demon members. “You came at the right time, lad,” Shadwell said, sitting in his chair behind the desk, “This city’s been going to shite faster every day.” 

“Well I think what we’ve seen can top it,” Crowley said as he and Aziraphale sat in front of the desk. “Have you seen any...strange Pokemon lately?” 

“...Strange how?” Shadwell asked. 

“Oh, you wouldn’t be able to tell right away,” Aziraphale spoke up. “They have some kind of...shadow around them, but I’m the only one who can really see that, at least so far-” 

Crowley gently shushed him and shook his head; this whole thing was crazy enough without mentioning things only he could see. “These Pokemon are basically little fighting machines that look ready to commit murder at the drop of a hat,” Crowley summarized. 

Shadwell rolled his eyes and sighed, “Tell me something I don’t know, laddie.” 

“So, you’ve seen them?” Aziraphale asked urgently. 

“I’ve been getting these ‘strange Pokemon’ reports for the past week,” Shadwell said. “Ever since Dowling let those bastards in, more reports have been coming in every day; I can’t keep my men on top of it!” 

“Dowling?” Aziraphale asked. 

“He runs the Colosseum and the city,” Crowley answered. “The Colosseum is the only thing around here that really keeps this town going so he’s a big deal.” 

“Not anymore he’s not,” Shadwell snapped. “For my money, he’s nothing but a coward!” 

“What did he do?” Aziraphale asked. 

“A few weeks ago, these posh bastards came in...called themselves, Archangel Incorporated or something, wanted to use the colosseum for some kind of profit,” Shadwell growled. “Their ringleader, uh, Sand-something or other, somehow got Dowling to sign the place over.” 

Aziraphale’s face became drawn in horror while Crowley’s jaw clenched, “Sandalphon?” He asked.

“Yeah, that’s him!” Shadwell exclaimed. “Ever since then, Dowling’s been letting the city run wild, and more and more people come in complaining about strange Pokemon.” He then frowned suspiciously. “Wait a moment...how do you know about this?” 

Wordlessly, Crowley released Gossifleur and the little Pokemon began prowling around, snarling, making Aziraphale grimace and cringe. “We had a bit of a...run in with Sandalphon last night and took this off one of his men.” 

Gossifleur’s eyes fell on Absol and it started towards the larger Pokemon, but Absol stood up straight and gave it a death glare, making the Pokemon back down, despite still looking ready to fight. 

“You ever see a Gossifleur act like that?” Crowley asked. 

Shadwell gazed at the Pokemon, flinching as it hissed at him, prompting Crowley to recall it. “Aye...that about fits the description of what I done seen,” Shadwell said softly. 

“So you’ve seen one of these?” Crowley asked, leaning forward. “Aye, saw that bastard who hangs around the gate battling with one of those,” Shadwell answered. “Looked like a real sweet creature, but it was vicious; almost pounced on the losing trainer afterward.” 

“Oh dear…” Aziraphale said softly. 

“Naturally, I tried to get some answers out of him, but I can’t get the bastard to talk; only speaks in battles, he does,” He looked at Crowley knowingly. “Maybe someone with...better battling skills can take care of him.” 

Crowley couldn’t help but smirk, “Why don’t you ask Madam Tracy to help you?” 

Shadwell stiffened, “I’d sooner let this city burn to the ground than ask that Jezebel for help!” 

“Alright, have it your way,” Crowley shrugged. 

“Who is Madam Tracy?” Aziraphale mouthed. 

“Later,” Crowley mouthed back. Crowley stretched and glanced at Absol, “Well then, I think we can get some answers out of this suspect of yours.” Aziraphale looked at him uneasily and Crowley sent him a wink over his glasses before standing up, “Thank you for the information Sergeant, we’ll be in touch, I’m sure.” 

“I’ll be sure to spread my men throughout the city; be careful out there lads!” Shadwell called after them before turning to the back. “Pulsifer! ...Oh, that’s right, he left…” Crowley and Aziraphale left the Police building and headed back to the entrance of the city. 

“Quite an...interesting fellow,” Aziraphale commented. “But quite helpful.” 

Crowley nodded, “He comes through when you least expect it.” 

“I must say, I didn’t expect a former Demon to be in good graces with the law enforcement,” Aziraphale said. 

“Comes in handy,” Crowley said, scratching Absol as it walked beside him. “You’d be surprised how often you can get out of trouble if you know the right people.” 

They walked past a decently large building and the door slammed open, startling everyone close by. “I HATE YOU!!” A young boy stomped out the door, followed by a middle-aged man wearing a suit. 

“Son, don’t you walk away from me!” He scolded. 

“No way!” The boy yelled. “I’m not gonna be a stupid coward like you!” 

“Warlock Dowling, get back here!” The boy didn’t listen and ran off. The man growled under his breath and shut himself back inside while a few onlookers watched with wide eyes. 

“Mr. Dowling, I assume?” Aziraphale asked.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Crowley said. “Not sure what got into his kid, but it’s probably nothing good.” 

“Should we go after him?” 

“Nah, that kid's as spoiled as they come; probably didn’t get the right present or something.” 

Aziraphale glanced at the retreating form of the boy before focusing on the task at hand. “So, erm, what about that Madam Tracy you mentioned?” He asked, getting his mind off what they just saw. “The Sergeant didn’t seem very fond of her.” 

“She’s the city’s fortune teller,” Crowley said, gesturing to a small building nearby with curtains around the entrance. “She and Shadwell have...history together.” 

Aziraphale hummed, “And him calling her a Jezebel?” 

Crowley made a face, “I...make a point to not pry into her past jobs.” 

“Ah…!” Aziraphale nodded in understanding almost immediately, “Quite right.” 

They reached the city’s entrance where a tough but shady looking guy was wandering around, eyeing people who came in and out. “What do we do?” Aziraphale whispered. 

“Leave it to me,” Crowley whispered back. “Absol, time to do what you do best.” Absol nodded. Crowley kept walking, pulling Aziraphale after him by the sleeve when he didn’t follow. 

“What is-” 

“Just act natural, and keep walking, don’t even look at him,” Crowley instructed softly. “Let Absol do his thing.” 

“And that is?” Aziraphale asked. 

Crowley smirked. “Looking cool.” They slowly walked past the trainer, Absol occupying the space between the dup and the trainer. Once the trainer’s eyes fell on Crowley’s Absol, they lit up eagerly. 

The trainer hurried toward them. “Say...that’s a strong looking Absol you got there!” 

“Yeah?” Crowley asked, trying to hide his grin.

“Lots of trainers come through here,” The trainer grinned and held up a Pokeball. “And I think I wanna test and see just how tough you are.”

This time, Crowley did grin, “Well, how can we say no to that?”

“Absol!”

“Keep an eye out,” Crowley muttered to Aziraphale as they got into position.

“You mind if we make this a double battle?” The trainer asked. 

“No problem!” Crowley responded easily before pulling out Gossfleur’s Pokeball. 

Aziraphale gasped, “Crowley…!” 

“Hey, you said battling with it would fix it; time to see if that works,” Crowley hissed before sending out the Shadow Pokemon. Thankfully, it seemed a touch calmer than last time, although it was still growling like it was rabid. 

As the trainer sent out his Pokemon, a Tranquil and a Stufful, Crowley pulled out his PDA, aka the one thing he used for communication and finding info on Pokemon. It wasn’t super fancy like a Pokedex, but it got the job done. 

He discreetly held it up so it scanned the Gossifleur, “Alright you little shit, what tricks have you got for me?” He muttered. The list of moves popped up; Shadow Rush, Stun Spore and...that’s it. That’s it?! 

“Hey angel, does that fairy tale of yours mention these Pokemon having almost having no moves?” 

Aziraphale blinked, “W-What?!” 

“Well, at least one of them is like hitting them with a train; Gossifleur, Shadow Rush on Stufful!” That felt very weird to say. Gossifleur obeyed and charged, slamming into Tranquil. “Okay, not what I said, but good enough,” Crowley said. “Absol, _you_ get Stufful; Psycho Cut!” 

“Dodge it!” Stufful hopped out of the way of the attack. “Use Flail on Absol!” The tiny Pokemon waved its tiny limbs and charged at Absol, smacking it around wildly. 

“Tranquil, Wing Attack on Gossifleur!” The bird flew up and landed a good hit on Gossifleur, knocking it through the air, only for it to be hit by Stufful who was still wailing on Absol with Flail. 

“Shit, that’s gonna hurt…” Crowley muttered. “Gossifleur, you okay?” Gossifleur slowly got up and didn’t move. “Gossifleur?” The Pokemon lifted its head, and Crowley saw its eyes were glazed over. “Oh shit...hit the deck!” 

The Gossifleur charged up Shadow Rush and began zooming all over the place. Tranquil and Stufful were knocked around silly while Absol barely managed to avoid the attacks. 

“Hey kid, watch out!” Crowley yelled to the trainer, who dived out of the way of an attack almost immediately after. Crowley and Aziraphale jumped out of the way as Gossifleur zoomed at them, before resuming going crazy around the battlefield. 

“What the hell’s wrong with this thing?!” Crowley yelled. 

“I don’t know!” Aziraphale cried. “The shadows...they’re bigger now, almost red!” 

“What the fuck does that mean?!” 

“How am I supposed to know?!” 

Crowley growled, “Gossifleur! Hey! Gossifleur, enough!” Shockingly, the Pokemon slowed to a stop and the attack faded. It growled and looked around, but not as viciously as before. “Huh…” Crowley shrugged seeing Tranquil and Stufful had been defeated due to the rampage. “That worked out…” 

The trainer growled as he recalled the two Pokemon. “You gotta learn to control that thing!” 

“Trust me, mate, we’re trying,” Crowley admitted. 

“Well...let’s see how you do against this!” The trainer sent out a Wooloo and it growled loudly. 

Aziraphale sucked in a breath “Crowley…!” 

Crowley glanced at Aziraphale, who’s eyes were wide. “That the one?” He asked. Aziraphale nodded, not taking his eyes off the Pokemon. Crowley nodded and got a Pokeball ready to put into the gauntlet. 

“Shadow Rush!” The trainer yelled and the Wooloo charged. 

“Alright, showtime; Absol!” Absol nodded and jumped out of the way before it unleashed a Thunderbolt, leaving the Wooloo with paralysis. “Now for good measure…Gossifleur, Shadow Rush!” The Gossifleur obliged and charged at the Wooloo, landing a direct hit. 

Gossifleur’s eyes were on the trainer next, planning to make his its next target, but Crowley recalled it before that could happen. He loaded the Pokeball into the gauntlet and it shot into his hand. “Let’s see if we can get two for two!” He threw the Pokeball and it sucked the Wooloo inside. The ball landed, shook, and clicked after three shakes. 

“It worked again…” Aziraphale whispered as the ball flew back to Crowley’s hand. 

The trainer spluttered, unable to process what had just happened. “W-What the fuck?!” He stormed towards Crowley. “What the hell did you just do, you son of a-” Absol approached him threateningly, making the man stumble and fall backward. 

Crowley leaned over him, holding up the newly snagged Wooloo’s Pokeball. “Now...you wanna tell me where you got this little bugger?” He asked. 

The trainer scoffed, “You wanna keep that rip-off, go right ahead; I just wasted my time for nothing!” He spat. “They said that Pokemon was special, way stronger than usual!” 

“Who told you that?” Crowley growled. 

“The guys at the Colosseum,” The trainer said. “I won the Knockout Challenge and these guys told me I would get a special Pokemon for winning; should’ve known it was bullshit.” 

Crowley exchanged a look with Aziraphale. “How long has the Colosseum been doing this?” Crowley demanded. When the trainer didn’t answer, Absol placed a paw on his chest and bared its fangs. 

“Alright alright!” The trainer exclaimed. “I don’t know, a, a week? Maybe two? I know a lot of those Duel Square guys have entered that challenge!” Aziraphale’s fear grew and Crowley stood up. 

At that moment, a loud ruckus could be heard from within the city. “C’mon," Crowley said to Aziraphale and started back into the city. He pocketed the Wooloo and snapped his fingers, calling off Absol who trailed behind them. 

“Could that...just be a very intense battle we’re hearing?” Aziraphale asked with false hope. 

Crowley shook his head, “If it is, must be one hell of a show.” They approached the square, and sure enough, a battle was going on; many battles were going on actually. In fact, scratch that, it looked more like a free-for-all or a Battle Royale than a proper battle, as multiple Pokemon were out and going absolutely bonkers. 

Shadwell could be seen in the back, trying in vain to calm the chaos. Crowley counted about ten or twelve Pokemon in total, but some seemed to be fighting more viciously than others. 

Crowley felt Aziraphale reach out and grab his wrist tightly. “See anything?” 

Aziraphale nodded quickly. “Six...six have those Pokemon have shadows around them.” He said. 

Crowley took a deep breath and nodded, “Okay...guess it’s time to see if I’m any good at aiming.” He released Arbok who curled up next to Absol, ready to go. He also got Gossifleur’s Pokeball ready; they would probably have to fight fire with fire. Crowley glanced upwards and saw Corviknight flying nearby should its assistance be needed. 

“Alright, angel…” Crowley loaded a Pokeball into the gauntlet, “Who am I going for?”

* * *

At the end fo the day, in the Pyrite Hotel, Crowley lounged in a chair. Absol lay on one of the beds while Arbok was curled around his feet. Both Pokemon were glad for the opportunity to relax for a change. Corviknight was likely roosting on the roof. 

Aziraphale sat on his own bed with the Pokeballs containing the Shadow Pokemon laid out before him. Yamask, Lampent, Fletchinder, Helioptile, Swadloon, and Lumineon. Six Shadow Pokemon from six trainers and all handed out as prizes from the Pyrite Colosseum, as stated by the trainers themselves, thanks to some interrogation from Shadwell who had all the trainers arrested on the spot. 

Aziraphale looked over at Crowley as he groaned in discomfort. “How is your leg?” He asked carefully. 

“Doing better,” Crowley managed. “Bastard just got a lucky shot in, that’s all.” By lucky shot, he meant that he tried to use the newly caught Lampent in battle after it was snagged, but it shot a Will-o-Wisp at him, almost burning his leg off. 

Aziraphale nodded, pushing down the guilt that he wasn’t able to help and looked back at the Pokeballs. They were all still covered in shadows, and the Pokeballs seemed to rattle with impatience. 

A part of him really wanted to let them out for some fresh air and quality time with Absol and Arbok, but he knew he’d be risking their lives by doing it. He then looked at Gossifleur and Wooloo’s Pokeballs; compared to the others, the shadows around them were very dim. 

In fact, if he strained his vision enough, Aziraphale could see a hint of light in the center of all the darkness. There was even a moment when Gossifleur started to attack mindlessly again, but after Crowley called out to it, the shadows around it dimmed immensely, just like it did against the trainer at the gate. 

It seemed his theory about bonding with the Shadow Pokemon was working, (Crowley used them more than he expected to while battling the other Shadow Pokemon) but they would have to wait and see if it would be enough to make them fully normal again. 

“There’s so many of them…” Aziraphale said softly. “And to think this has been going on for weeks…” 

“I gotta admit, I never expected to have a full team this fast,” Crowley agreed. 

“How many innocent Pokemon have they done this to?” Aziraphale asked. “I can’t imagine what they must go through to end up...like this!” 

“We’ll find out at the colosseum tomorrow,” Crowley said, leaning forward from his chair. “Win the challenge, supposedly get a Shadow Pokemon, and hopefully, find out where they’re coming from.” Aziraphale nodded but still looked uneasy. 

“Don’t worry so much, we have a secret weapon,” Crowley tapped the snag gauntlet sitting on the ground next to him. “This place will be squeaky clean by the end of tomorrow.” Aziraphale gave a small smile and put the Pokeballs on Crowley’s jacket that was lying on another chair. 

“You know, you could have one of them,” Crowley said; Aziraphale looked at him and Crowley gestured to the Pokemon. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a way to defend yourself if you end up alone.” 

“Ah, that’s very kind, but no,” Aziraphale shook his head. “I haven’t had any experience owning a normal Pokemon, I, I don’t think I’ll have much luck with a Shadow one.” 

“I wouldn’t underestimate yourself,” Crowley said sincerely. “If you ask me, I think you’re a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for.” 

Aziraphale sat on the bed again, a bashful smile on his face, “What makes you say that?” 

Crowley snorted, “After everything you’ve been through, a normal person would’ve high tailed it out of Orre the first chance he got; not you,” Crowley said. “You stuck around longer than I expected you ever would, especially after a kidnapping and hostage situation in two days.” 

Aziraphale fiddled with his ring, “That may be true, but...it’s not like I’ve been much help.” 

“Hey, if you weren’t around to tell me which Pokemon was which, I probably would’ve snagged every single one in that square,” Crowley said. “Not even Shadwell would’ve been able to save me from a bunch of pissed off trainers.” 

The smile returned, “Well, I, I suppose that’s true…” 

Crowley’s face softened, “You can see things no one else can see, angel,” He said. “That makes you special; don’t let anyone sell you short just because you can’t battle or handle Pokemon or do normal things, normal’s overrated anyway.” 

Aziraphale’s smile grew more affectionate, almost missing the nickname that had come out again. “...No one’s ever said anything like that to me before…” He murmured, looking at the carpeted floor. 

Crowley raised his eyebrows; that certainly explained a lot. “Well, it’s true,” He leaned back in his chair, rubbing Arbok’s head. “Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” 

Aziraphale smiled at him again; he felt more comforted as he heard Arbok softly purr under Crowley’s hand. He certainly hadn’t expected his visit to Orre to turn out this way...but he was certain he had ended up with the right person. A person he could trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Lampent, Fletchinder, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon
> 
> I will try to give these guys as much battle and screen time as I can, but I make no promises. HOWEVER, if you see a favorite on the list and want it in particular to have some time to shine, let me know and I'll do my best to make it happen! ;)


	5. A Way to the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems these Archangels are more dangerous than what they were previously thought to be...

Crowley woke up to unbearable heat. So unbearable that he felt sticky all over and Absol and Arbok were lying on the ground panting and looking miserable. “Fuck, who turned off the air-conditioning…?” Crowley grumbled. 

“I was about to ask you the same thing…” Aziraphale muttered, looking very red in the face from the heat. 

Crowley got up and walked over to the machine only to find that it wasn’t on or off. “Shit…” Crowley checked the lights and confirmed his suspicions. “Power’s out.” 

“Well that explains it,” Aziraphale said, washing his face with a cool cloth in the sink. “Does this happen often?” 

“This is a first for me,” Crowley admitted, recalling Absol and Arbok to their Pokeballs (it had to be cooler in there then their room). “At least everyone’s suffering.” 

“You’re certain it’s not just the hotel?” Aziraphale asked. “Positive; the whole city is powered by one place so if it goes down…” Crowley trailed off. 

“What?” 

“Oooooh shit,” Crowley hurried to get ready. If this place was out of power, then that meant the generator building was down; and if _that_ was down…!

* * *

“I’m very sorry, sir, but I’m afraid that due to a power outage we won’t be having any knockout challenges until the lights come back.” Dammit… 

“Well...on the bright side, at least the Colosseum can’t hand out any more Shadow Pokemon,” Aziraphale said as they walked away from the Colosseum. 

“Yeah, but we’re pretty much dead in the water if we can’t get in there,” Crowley said, steering them towards the Windmill that powered the city. “The place is pretty well taken care of; wonder what the hell happened?” Just as they arrived, Shadwell stepped out; that wasn’t a good sign. “Sergeant,” Crowley approached him, “What happened here?” 

“Trouble just keeps piling up,” Shadwell grumbled. “Someone broke in and stole one of the power gears; punched the poor mechanic who runs it too.” 

“That explains the power outage,” Aziraphale said. 

“Aye; and until we can find the thief and the gear, this place is gonna be dark for a while,” Shadwell said. 

“Well, did they see who took it?” Aziraphale asked. 

Shadwell shook his head, “Just that he was small and wearing a strange mask.” 

“What about where they went?” Crowley asked. 

“Towards the city’s entrance,” Shadwell said. “It is the only way out after all; I’ll have to get my men on top of setting up a quarantine around the city...” He started muttering under his breath. Aziraphale wanted to say something but a look from Crowley silenced him, telling him it wasn’t worth the trouble. 

Instead, they left the windmill, heading in the direction of the gate. “Well looks like our plan is a bust,” Crowley sighed. 

“At least now that Colosseum can’t hand out more Shadow Pokemon,” Aziraphale admitted. “But then again, that probably won’t stop those...Archangels from making them.” 

“Well, I’m open to any new ideas if you come up with any.” 

“Mr. Crowley~!” The two of them turned to see a red-haired woman waving to them. She was dressed like a fortune teller, minus the turban or round hat that you see them wear. 

“Madam Tracy,” Crowley greeted with a nod. “Don’t really see you outside much, what’s the occasion?” 

“I was told that two souls would be coming to the city in our time of need,” Madam Tracy said. “The spirits weren’t very specific, but seeing you two, I knew it had to be you.” 

“Is she implying that we stand out?” Aziraphale asked softly. 

Crowley looked at Aziraphale and then at himself, “...I wouldn’t be surprised if she was,” He muttered. 

“You are searching for something important,” Madam Tracy said, catching their attention. “Something that was stolen.” 

“W-We are!” Aziraphale said in surprise. “Someone stole a gear from the windmill.” 

“Ah, well that explains why my refrigerator isn’t cold,” Madam Tracy said. “Please, come in; perhaps I can help you find what you seek.” 

Aziraphale started over without hesitation, making Crowley do a double-take. “Are you serious, angel?” Crowley asked in alarm. 

“Well, you said you were open to other ideas, so what’s the harm?” Aziraphale asked, giving him a small smirk. Crowley gaped and rolled his eyes before following Aziraphale into Madam Tracy’s house. 

The inside of the house looked...fairly normal, much to their surprise. The only area that matched with Madam Tracy’s ‘occupation’ was a round table with a table cloth over it and a crystal ball sitting in the middle of it. 

“Come,” Madam Tracy gestured, sitting at the table. Crowley and Aziraphale took the seats opposite her as she sat in front of the crystal ball. 

“So how exactly can you help us find this gear?” Crowley asked. “I thought you just told people their horoscopes or something.” 

“Crowley,” Aziraphale scolded. 

“Oh, the spirits tell me many things,” Madam Tracy said with a smile. “We just prefer to glimpse into the future most of the time.” 

“Right…” Crowley drawled.

“Can you help us find the gear?” Aziraphale asked, ignoring Crowley’s annoyance.

“I shall ask the spirits,” Madam Tracy said with a nod. “They may not give a direct answer, but maybe we’ll get lucky today.”

“This oughta be good,” Crowley muttered, sitting back. Madam Tracy pulled the crystal ball close to her and the ball slightly glowed. Madam Tracy hummed, her hands hovering around the crystal ball. This went on for a few moments when she suddenly spread her arms with a sharp cry, making Aziraphale and Crowley jump. 

She made a series of strange noises and movements before staring up at the ceiling, “The spirits are speaking to me…!” She gasped. “I see...a broken machine...gears that have been robbed of movement...” 

“The windmill,” Aziraphale confirmed. 

“I see a man...an old and angry man…” 

“Probably Shadwell,” Crowley said. 

More strange noises came from Madam Tracy, “The thief of the windmill...he is of this city…!” 

“He lives in the city?” Aziraphale asked. 

“Well that narrows it down,” Crowley rolled his eyes. 

Madam Tracy jerked and spasmed about, almost making Aziraphale and Crowley feel concerned for her actual health when she grew very still very fast. “An image is becoming clear…! It is the one...the thief of the windmill…!” Madam Tracy said, making Aziraphale and Crowley perk up. “He is near...closer...closer…!” Aziraphale and Crowley found themselves leaning forward in anticipation. 

They jumped as Madam Tracy let out a loud gasp, her eyes flying open. “He is outside!” 

A loud crash was heard. Crowley and Aziraphale hurried out the door and looked around until Aziraphale looked towards the city gate. A figure was sneaking along the wall and he was wearing a plastic mask; just like the mechanic said. 

“There he is!” Aziraphale exclaimed. Crowley released Arbok and the snake lunged at the stranger, quickly wrapping around him. 

“Hey! Lemme go!” The figure squirmed sounding...much younger than they were expecting. 

Crowley and Aziraphale hurried over to see a small figure wearing a plastic monster mask. He was quite small...like he was a kid. Crowley took off the mask and their eyes widened at the face beneath. 

“Well...this just got a lot more interesting,” Crowley remarked. 

* * *

The gear had been buried in a small dump just outside the city; a hiding place that only their thief knew about. With some persuading from Aziraphale and threats from Crowley, they managed to find it undamaged. 

They dragged both the gear and the thief back to the Windmill, Arbok’s lower half wrapped around it securely. When they got there, Shadwell was still there, as well as both Dowling and a pretty young woman who was his wife, Harriet Dowling. 

“Good news; we found the gear,” Aziraphale said brightly when they arrived. “And I believe we’ve found your...little thief as well.” 

Crowley yanked the thief forward, still holding him by the back of his shirt and pulled the plastic mask off, revealing a familiar young boy. 

“Warlock?!” Thaddeus exclaimed while his wife gasped in horror. Warlock pouted and avoided their eyes as Crowley pushed him their way. 

“Warlock Thaddeus Dowling, what is the meaning of this?!” Harriet cried. Warlock pouted and didn’t answer, and Crowley lightly pushed him over to his parents before nodding to Arbok, who slithered over to the mechanic with the gear. 

“Oh, thank you!” The mechanic gave Arbok an appreciative rub under her chin and hefted the gear out of her grasp. “Everyone will be very happy to have their air conditioning back; today’s a scorcher!” 

“Well, you can thank Madam Tracy for it,” Aziraphale said brightly. “She was quite a big help; a lovely woman.” Crowley couldn’t help but snort as Shadwell’s face seemed to scrunch up in disgust. 

As the mechanic worked putting the gear back into place, Warlock continued to pout, grumbling to himself. Crowley picked up words along the lines of ‘don’t deserve it’ and ‘doing the right thing’. 

“Something on your mind, kid?” Crowley asked. 

“None of your business!” Warlock snapped, earning a glare from his mother. 

“It kind of is, considering you just about screwed over the city and everyone in it for a few hours,” Crowley responded. Warlock had nothing to say to that. 

“Why did you even steal such a thing, to begin with?” Aziraphale asked. 

Crowley nodded in agreement, “Yeah; it’s not much of a prank since you also end up without power; what were you thinking?” 

“I don’t care; as long as those stupid Archangel guys didn’t get to use the Colosseum,” Warlock grumbled. Thaddeus looked a bit shocked and somewhat guilty. 

“You were trying to stop the Archangels?” Aziraphale asked gently. 

“Yeah!” Warlock exclaimed. “Ever since they beat Dad in battle they’ve just been doing whatever they want! And Dad wasn’t doing anything so I did! Because I’m not a coward!” 

“Warlock!” Harriet gasped. 

“Son-” Thaddeus started, but Warlock cut him off. 

“No! I’m sick of it! Why aren’t you fighting back against those jerks?!” Warlock yelled. “They beat you once! That’s nothing! Just go back and have a rematch or something!” 

“I can’t,” Thaddeus said tightly.

“Why not?!” 

“Because my hands are tied, Warlock!” Thaddeus finally roared. “I have to do what they say; I have no choice!” 

“But why?!” Warlock persisted. “At least tell me why!!” 

“Sir, with all due respect,” Aziraphale spoke up softly. “I think you do at least owe your son an answer.” 

“Considering he plunged us into a blackout because you didn’t, that might be a good idea,” Crowley agreed. 

Thaddeus took a few deep breaths before looking at Warlock and Harriet, both of their faces desperate for answers. Finally, he sighed; he couldn’t keep this locked up forever. 

“A few weeks ago, these people, Archangel Incorporated, they wanted to purchase the Colosseum, something about improving it for profit or something,” Thaddeus said. “Of course, I said no, every time. But then, they brought in this guy, uh, Sandalphon.” 

Aziraphale tensed; only Crowley noticed. 

“I was ready to kick him out the same as the others but his Pokemon...they weren’t normal, and they weren’t pushovers either.” That certainly sounded familiar. “Long story short, I lost the battle,” He took a deep breath. “...And to ensure my cooperation, they took our Piplup.” 

Aziraphale’s eyes widened, “No...” 

“That’s where Piplup is?!” Warlock exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” 

“I didn’t want to worry you!” Thaddeus snapped before softening. “Piplup is a family Pokemon we’ve had for a while; they took it after I lost our battle and Sandalphon said if we get anyone else involved or try to stop them, then…” 

“Shit…” Crowley whispered. That certainly changed things and explained a lot. 

Even Shadwell looked a bit downcast, “Sir...if I had known-” 

Thaddeus waved his hand, “It was my choice; I couldn’t risk Piplup’s safety.” 

“Well, this Archangel nonsense ends today!” Shadwell proclaimed. “I’ll send my top men to-” 

“Not a good idea,” Crowley interrupted. “You heard the man, you storm the place, this Piplup will get it way worse.” 

“Oh…” Shadwell deflated a bit. “Then what can we do?” 

“Take ‘em out on the inside,” Crowley said. 

“We were planning on entering the Colosseum and winning a challenge, er well, Crowley was,” Aziraphale said. “Now that the power has returned, it shouldn’t be hard to try again.” 

“They give Shadow Pokemon to the winners,” Crowley said. 

“Shadow Pokemon?” Warlock asked, a bit too eagerly. 

“That’s what they call those Pokemon that steamrolled you; they’re nasty little bastards,” Crowley explained. “Once we get in, we should be able to find Piplup...honestly I didn’t think as far ahead after winning the Knockout Challenge, but this fixes things.” 

Aziraphale gave him a look. “And once we get Piplup back, you can properly take care of those Archangels.” 

Shadwell seemed satisfied with the idea, “What do you say, Mr. Dowling?” He asked Thaddeus. 

The man shook his head. “As long as you get Piplup back, I don’t care what you do…”

* * *

“Those _fiends_!” Aziraphale exclaimed as they headed towards the Colosseum. “Taking a Pokemon hostage and a small Pokemon that can barely defend itself no less!” 

“People can be real bastards in this world,” Crowley agreed. Though he didn’t show it, Crowley was seething; if there was one thing he had no tolerance for, it was small, baby, or first stage Pokemon getting picked on. 

“Well, I’m certainly looking forward to watching you ‘bring the thunder’ as one might say, on those Archangels,” Aziraphale said. “Now is the time to lick some serious butt!” 

Crowley looked at him, “...Don’t you mean _kick_ some serious butt?” 

Aziraphale blinked as well, “Oh; that makes more sense.” Crowley couldn’t suppress an amused smile. They arrived at the Colosseum and approached the desk. 

“Afternoon,” Crowley said. “I’m here for the Knockout Challenge if you would be so kind.” 

The receptionist smiled, “Well, you’re in luck, there is one spot left for today’s challenge,” She said. “A lot of people were eager to get back to battling when that power outage crashed the party.” 

Crowley hummed with a fake smile and the receptionist registered him, opening the gate for him towards the battlefield. Aziraphale made to follow, but the receptionist shut the gate before he could.

“I’m afraid only challengers are allowed into the arena,” She said sweetly. 

Crowley glanced at her and looked at Aziraphale, who seemed a bit uneasy but smiled nonetheless. “It’s alright, I’ll, er, cheer you on from the sidelines!” Crowley left it at that and headed into the stadium. 

“The door to the stands is down the hall to the right,” The receptionist said. 

“Oh, yes, um, thank you,” Aziraphale nodded and headed down the hall.

Once his back was turned, the receptionist touched her ear and turned on her earpiece. “He’s here,” she said softly. “Ready for extraction.”

* * *

Crowley winced as he stepped out into the battlefield, the cheering crowds echoing around him. That was something he had never quite gotten used to. Crowley smirked as his opponent took their place.

“Alright, boys,” He took out two Pokeballs. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

Aziraphale managed to find the entrance to the stands with hardly any trouble. It was finding a proper place to watch that was difficult. The cacophony of cheers around him somehow made it even worse. He could faintly hear Crowley yelling commands to his Pokemon, so now he just needed to find a place where he could actually see him. 

Unfortunately, thanks to the noise, Aziraphale didn’t realize he was being followed until he was clubbed across the head. Arms caught him as he collapsed and dragged him away. The excited crowd didn’t notice a thing. 

* * *

“Too easy,” Crowley casually tossed Corviknight’s Pokeball up and down as he strolled out. He had swept all four rounds with no effort at all. Plus, Gossifleur and Wooloo managed to actually do what he said without any trouble; a huge bonus. He collected his prize money and a Technical Machine as a complimentary prize. Next up: supposed Shadow Pokemon dealer. 

“Alright angel, we’re all set…” Crowley trailed off as Aziraphale was nowhere in sight. “Angel?” Crowley glanced around. “Aziraphale?” No answer. That was odd; he couldn’t have wandered off. Surely he knew better than that after what he had been through. He exited the building and glanced around but there was no sign of him. 

“Hey, are you the recent winner?” Crowley blinked as a shady looking man approached him. He was wearing a helmet that reminded Crowley of those guards from Phenac city.

“I am,” Crowley answered easily. 

“Then come with me; winners of the Knockout challenge get rewarded a special Pokemon!” 

“So I heard,” Crowley said. “Lead on, then.” Crowley followed the man back across the bridge and Crowley kept glancing around for Aziraphale. Hopefully, he didn’t do anything stupid and would run into him soon. 

* * *

In a small room on the roof of a building, Sandalphon switched on a large screen, where a man with purple eyes appeared. “Commander Gabriel,” Sandalphon greeted. 

“Sandalphon,” Gabriel nodded. “How is our little...project going?” 

“Exactly according to plan, sir,” Sandalphon said with a smile. “We ran into a few hiccups in Phenac city, but things here in Pyrite are going perfectly. We’ve completely broken Dowling’s spirit; he’s been very cooperative.” 

“And the Shadow Pokemon are being distributed efficiently?” 

“Indeed the winning trainers are very enthusiastic about it,” Sandalphon said. “I’ll have a full report delivered to you very soon.” 

“Good, very good,” Gabriel smiled widely. “And what about the...other delivery?” Sandalphon grinned and gestured to someone offscreen. 

A chair was pulled into view where a gagged Aziraphale sat. His arms were cruelly wrenched and tied behind him and thick ropes wrapped around his chest keeping him snugly in the chair. Aziraphale had been fruitlessly struggling against his bonds but they faded as he laid eyes on the man on the screen. 

“Safely packaged and ready for delivery, sir,” Sandalphon said.

“Excellent,” Gabriel said in a way that made Aziraphale shudder. “Michael is looking forward to meeting him; I’m sure she’ll enjoy seeing just what makes him tick.” Aziraphale paled at the implications. “I’ll be sending a chopper your way; see to it that he’s on it.” 

“Very good, sir,” Sandalphon bowed his head and the screen switched off. The two Seraph officers pulled Aziraphale’s chair back to its original spot in the corner. “Keep a close eye on him,” Sandalphon said. “We don’t want him slipping away again.” 

“You got it, sir.” The first officer said. Both Seraphs let out a Pokemon, a Drednaw and an Impidimp, both of them covered with a shadowy aura in Aziraphale’s eyes. A whimper escaped him as the two Pokemon snarled, looking ready to rip him apart at a moment’s notice. 

“The helicopter will arrive soon,” Sandalphon said to the two Seraphs as he headed onto the roof. “Keep a close eye on him, and if the one in the dark glasses shows up...don’t hesitate to kill.”

Aziraphale’s eyes glazed over with unshed tears of horror, _‘Crowley…!’_

* * *

Crowley was led into the building near the bridge and into the lobby. He was told to wait, so he simply leaned against a wall as there weren’t any chairs or cushions to sit on. As he waited, he remembered the Technical Machine he had just won. It was for the move Toxic; now _that_ he could use. He released Arbok, who promptly curled up by his feet. 

“Hey, girl, got a treat for ya,” Crowley grinned holding up the Toxic TM and Arbok hissed with approval. Crowley booted up the TM and put in the necessary adjustments and the new move was learned. Crowley gave her a pat when the man returned, but with another one as well. They gestured for him to come to the front desk, so he did, clicking for Arbok to follow and to stay alert. 

“This is our latest Knockout Challenge winner,” The man from earlier said. “Set him up with our special prize.” 

The other man nodded when he finally took in Crowley’s face and the large Pokemon by his side. “Wait a second...this is the guy Mr. Sandalphon warned us about!” 

“What?!” 

“Uh-oh, cat’s out,” Crowley said with a shrug. His bravado faded a bit as one of the men sent out a Blitzle. Without Aziraphale how was he supposed to know- 

“Shadow Rush!” 

Crowley grinned in relief and rolled out of the way of the attack along with Arbok. “Knew it,” He looked at Arbok with a smirk, “Sweetheart, why don’t you show these gentlemen your new trick?” 

Arbok hissed happily, slithering near Crowley and loosely wrapping herself around him protectively and her eyes glowed. The tile floor under the Seraphs became covered with strong liquid poison, making the men yelp and scramble away. The Toxic attack spread across the entire floor, save for the spot where Crowley and Arbok occupied, making the Seraphs jump onto the front desk. The Blitzle wasn’t so lucky though, as the Pokemon wavered and knelt in pain from the poison. 

Crowley glanced at Arbok, “Acid.” Arbok turned around and shot a shower of Acid onto the Blitzle, making it cry out in pain from double the poison. “I’ll be taking that now,” Crowley loaded a Great Ball into the Gauntlet and tossed it behind him. 

The Blitzle was caught rather easily and the two Seraphs retreated further into the building in fear. The Toxic vanished from the floor and Crowley gave Arbok an affectionate scratch under her chin as the Great Ball flew back into his hand. “Great work, girl.” 

He recalled her and something then caught his eye. It was a silver binder on the floor; those Seraphs must’ve knocked it down when they ran. Crowley picked it up, casually flipped it open and he took off his glasses as he scanned the text. 

_‘A_ _Shadow Pokémon_ _is a_ _Pokémon_ _that has been made into a fighting machine by artificially shutting the door to its heart. These Pokemon grow exponentially in power, and while its moves are forgotten, it’s made up for a new, powerful move we call Shadow Rush. The_ _Shadow Pokémon_ _exude a dark aura that can't normally be seen by the human eye, making them easy to pass as regular Pokemon._

Crowley pursed his lips and nodded; it seems Aziraphale and his fairy tale were right on the money. He kept reading.

 _‘Unfortunately, a man with the ability to see this dark aura has recently been discovered._ _This man is to be immediately captured, studied, and executed if this plan is to succeed.’_

On the corner of the file, a small fuzzy photo of Aziraphale was clipped. Crowley felt time freeze around him as he finally realized what had happened to his companion. “Shit…!” Crowley dropped the file and started running. “Shit shit shit shit _shit!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Lampent, Fletchinder, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, *Blitzle  
> (*new)


	6. Danger Comes in All Forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley's day just gets more and more hectic as tough Shadow Pokemon get in his way and he and Aziraphale avoid injury and possibly death by a narrow margin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small trigger warnings for just a BIT of violence. Nothing graphic.

It was common practice for trainers to accept battles when they make eye contact. Refusing is considered rude. 

But sometimes, under the right circumstances, you just have no time for that shit. 

This was why Crowley was bolting up the stairs of the building, shoving aside anybody in his way, trainer or not. Thankfully, the building wasn’t that big so it wasn’t long before the final staircase came into view. 

He burst into the room at the top of the stairs and multiple things happened. 

He saw two goons, both with Pokemon at their side and two more lesser looking thugs behind them. 

He saw Aziraphale tied to a chair. 

Aziraphale saw him, cried out to him through his gag, his eyes wide in alarm, like he was giving him a warning. 

Then a shadowy aura was charging towards him. 

Crowley lunged to the side as a Drednaw hit the wall behind where he was just standing. The Pokemon ripped out a chunk of the wall and spit it out before glaring at Crowley. He quickly scrambled away before the thing could bite his feet off and released Wooloo and Yamask (The Yamask had been doing better at obeying than their other new recruits). 

Luckily, unlike the others, Yamask came with a good move other than Shadow Rush. “Shadow Ball on Impidimp!” Crowley ordered. Yamask obeyed and landed a direct hit. 

“Use Crunch!” The Dreadnaw charged at Yamask. 

“Dodge it!” Crowley yelled. Yamask didn’t move and Drednaw leaped up and chomped down on Yamask. “Okay, listening is still a thing we need to work on, got it,” Crowley muttered. “Wooloo, Shadow Rush on Drednaw!” Wooloo did so, allowing Yamask to break free from its jaws. That Drednaw was proving itself to be quite a tank of a Pokemon so they needed to snag it the first chance they got. 

“Yasmask, Shadow Rush again, on Drednaw!” Yamask charged and hit Drednaw, making it slide back to the wall. Crowley loaded a Pokeball into the gauntlet and tossed it. Drednaw flew inside and it shook once...twice… The Drednaw broke out, leaving the broken Pokeball behind. 

“Dammit, there goes my streak…!” Crowley grumbled.

One of the Seraphs smirked, “Impidimp, Shadow Rush!” The Impidimp charged at Wooloo, but the sheep Pokemon met the Impidimp head-on. The two Pokemon pushed at each other and Crowley saw this as the opportunity he needed. He pulled out a Pokeball to load into the gauntlet, but one of the Seraphs saw him. 

“Drednaw! Shadow Rush, full speed ahead!” 

Crowley didn’t even realize the danger until Drednaw was aiming at him. “Oh shit…!” Drednaw plowed right through Wooloo, Yamask, and even Impidimp, finishing by slamming into Crowley, sending him flying. Aziraphale let out a muffled cry as Crowley fell to the ground. 

“Ow...damn bastard…!” Crowley lifted his head, letting out a few coughs. “That was dirty!” Wooloo had fainted, forcing him to recall it. Yamask wobbled back upright again but its eyes were glazed over in a familiar manner. “Oh bloody hell, not you too!” 

Yamask began charging around, slamming into everything in sight. Crowley stayed on the ground, covering his head. Aziraphale flinched and tried to make himself as small as possible when Yamask barely grazed him and slammed into Impidimp. 

“Yamask, knock it off!” Crowley yelled. “Yamask!” Thankfully, the Pokemon obeyed, stopping its rampage. Once again, it going crazy worked to Crowley’s advantage as Impidimp was on the ground, looking pretty dazed. Crowley loaded the gauntlet but the Seraph saw what he was doing. 

“Use Crunch!” Drednaw ran towards Crowley again, 

“Fuck off!” Crowley released Absol from his pocket, who slammed the Pokemon away. The Pokeball shot into his hand and he threw it from his position on the ground, snagging the Impidimp after three shakes. Crowley sighed in relief as the Pokeball flew back to him and safely stored it. 

The robbed Seraph growled and turned to the two other thugs. “You two!” She pointed to Aziraphale. “Take him to the chopper, now! It’ll be here any minute!” 

“Y-Yessir!” The thugs hurried over to Aziraphale and sliced through the ropes binding him to the chair. They hauled him to his feet and started dragging him towards the door to the roof. 

“No-!” Crowley tried to get up only receive a Shadow Rush to the back, making him collapse, gasping for breath. 

“Mmmph!” Aziraphale pulled against his captors, struggling with the tight ropes around his wrists. His eyes locked with Crowley’s, pleading for him to get up.

Through his cracked shades, Crowley watched Aziraphale be dragged out the door, the other man trying desperately to free himself and the door slammed shut. He couldn’t lose him; if they took him away now, he would never find him again! 

Swallowing the pain in his chest, Crowley used a burst of energy to haul himself to his feet, letting out Helioptile in the place of Wooloo. “Shadow Rush!” He choked. He thanked his lucky stars that Helioptile charged and hit the Drednaw dead on, while Crowley loaded the Snag Machine. He was ready before the Pokemon could even recover. 

With a yell, he flung the ball at Drednaw. The Pokemon flew inside and the ball began to shake. _‘Stay in this time, you bloody-’_

* * *

Aziraphale had never gotten into sticky situations. He was a fairly careful man, although a bit naive and he wasn’t one for fighting, at all. But as he was being dragged onto the roof of the building, Aziraphale couldn’t remember if he had ever fought so hard in his life. 

He pulled and squirmed, his eyes still on the door where Crowley rested on the other side; he couldn’t be done, he couldn’t be! Aziraphale found himself continuously yelling for him through the gag, which seemed to help fuel his struggles as he wasn’t giving the thugs the easiest time. 

“Would you quit it?!” One snapped. 

“Where’s that freaking chopper?!” The other whined. 

Right on cue, the sound of helicopter blades filled the air. Artificial wind began to swirl as a small chopper landed on the roof. Aziraphale glanced inside where a dark figure could be seen sitting. The thugs started to drag him again, but Aziraphale kept fighting. 

“Ugh, quit squirming!” One of the thugs yelled. 

“Just hit him on the head or something!” The other yelled. The first nodded and spied a metal bar on the ground nearby but Aziraphale wasn’t having it anymore. 

With a grunt, he stomped on someone’s foot as hard as he could. The first thug yelped and stumbled backward, letting go of him. The second one wrapped his arms around his middle in an attempt to keep him still but Aziraphale jerked his head back, making contact with the thug’s nose. 

Unfortunately, his freedom was very brief as a metal bar hit his back, causing him to fall to the ground, dots in his vision. He blinked and saw the thug standing above him with the metal bar, raising it above his head. “Nighty night!” 

Aziraphale squeezed his eyes shut and waited for impact. There was a bang, but he felt no pain; Aziraphale opened his eyes and looked behind him only to feel relief blossom in his chest; Crowley had kicked down the door. He was here! 

Crowley took in the scene before him and released Corviknight; the bird flew above them almost instantly. “Whirlwind!” 

Corviknight cried out and began to flap its large wings. Strong winds filled the air and the helicopter began to slide dangerously towards the edge of the roof. Aziraphale curled up on the ground to the best of his ability as the strong wind swirled around them. The helicopter flew up and retreated, the two thugs barely hanging on in an attempt to escape with the pilot and the other passenger inside. Corviknight began flying around the building in a protective circle in case it decided to come back. 

Crowley watched until the helicopter was a decent speck and jogged over to Aziraphale while Corviknight flew off. “Can’t take my eyes off you for a second, can I?” He muttered. He sat Aziraphale up and untied the gag first, “You alright, angel?” 

Aziraphale took a few breaths and nodded, “Yes, I...I’m fine…” 

“Good,” Crowley began untying him. “These guys want your head on a silver platter; you need to be more careful.” 

Aziraphale’s face fell; he let out a sigh of relief as his arms were released and brought them round to rub them. “I’m sorry…” He said softly. “I’m just becoming a burden to you aren’t I?” 

“Eh, I wouldn’t say that,” Crowley shrugged, tossing the ropes away and holding a hand out to him. “That would imply you’re not nice to be around.” 

Aziraphale accepted Crowley’s hand and let him pull him to his feet. “Thank you…” He murmured. Crowley hummed in response and turned to go, but Aziraphale didn’t miss his slight limp. “A-Are _you_ alright?” Aziraphale asked, grabbing his arm. “You took quite a few nasty hits-” 

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Crowley shrugged it off. “Besides, you must’ve gotten roughed up yourself.” 

“Well yes, but that’s hardly anything compared to being attacked by rampant Pokemon!” Aziraphale protested. 

“What are you saying, angel?” 

“Let me see to your injuries,” Aziraphale said. “It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.” 

Crowley stared at him, “We’ll see,” He said. “Right now we have a job to do, remember?” Crowley headed back into the building before Aziraphale could say anymore. 

* * *

Thankfully, the building had a Healing Machine so Crowley could restore his team from the rough bout. As they traveled back up to the room, Crowley spied another binder, similar to the one downstairs. 

“What is it?” Aziraphale asked as Crowley walked over to it. 

“I think they’re research files,” Crowley said. “Found one downstairs that looked like this; it was how I found out these guys want you dead.” Crowley opened the file between them so they could both read. 

_‘While researching the Shadow Pokemon, we discovered a new phenomenon. When a Shadow Pokemon gets extra agitated or hurt, it enters an almost trance-like state. The Shadow Pokemon then attacks at full strength, uncaring of who or what it hits while attacking. We have dubbed this phenomenon Hyper Mode. While this Hyper Mode is certainly useful and powerful, it is also dangerous, as the Shadow Pokemon will have no qualms about attacking its own trainer as well. We found that in order to stop this rampage, the trainer must simply call the Pokemon’s name. This is also a double-edged sword, as the Shadows around the Pokemon’s heart start to fade faster when Hyper Mode is stopped. We must find a way to remedy this with more tests.’_

Aziraphale and Crowley glanced at each other in realization. “Ooooooooh,” They both said in understanding like someone just explained a math problem to them. 

“That explains why the shadows were bigger,” Aziraphale said. 

“And why Gossifleur and Yamask quit rampaging after I called their names,” Crowley added. He snapped the binder shut with a grin, “Well, that will make things easier; shall we then?” 

They traveled onto the roof and headed for the cave that was connected to the roof. (Crowley still had no idea how that even happened) The inside was very dimly lit with old lights, causing the two to tread carefully. Crowley had no Pokemon that knew the move Flash, so they had to depend on the lights. 

Aziraphale made sure to stick Crowley’s side like glue so as not to get snatched up again. At some point, Aziraphale was gripping Crowley’s arm; Crowley said nothing of it as it probably made the other man feel safer. He was glancing around and jumping at shadows; then again this was his third attempted kidnapping, his trust was probably in tatters, with the exception of Crowley himself. 

Crowley then felt eyes on him and caught Aziraphale looking at him, who quickly looked away when he did. “Something wrong?” 

“Oh! No, um, I was just...well...distracted,” Aziraphale stammered. 

“Well don’t be afraid to speak your mind, angel.” 

Aziraphale looked back up at him. ”Why do you do that?” 

“Do what?” 

“You’ve been calling me ‘angel’...” 

“You don’t like it?” Crowley asked. 

“Well, no, I didn’t say that,” Aziraphale amended. “I’m just...curious as to where that name came from.” 

Crowley shrugs, making a few noises, “You know...the clothes, hair, you just have that...angelic look about you.” 

Aziraphale looked away, hiding the pink dusting his cheeks, “I see…” Aziraphale continued his act of gripping Crowley’s arm and glancing around at everything that could possibly hide an enemy. 

Eventually, Crowley moved his hands off his arm, and before Aziraphale could say anything, he moved his hand down so he was holding his hand. 

“You’ll make me trip if you keep clinging like that,” Crowley said casually, not looking at him. Aziraphale gazed at him before adjusting his hand comfortably in his grip, as well as giving it a squeeze. Out of the corner of his eye, Crowley saw a smile on Aziraphale’s face; he said nothing but didn’t let go of his hand. 

* * *

“Burmy, use Shadow Rush!” 

Crowley sighed as Arbok coiled out of the way almost easily. “Really guys, this is getting predictable; Wrap!” Arbok easily wrapped around the Burmy and squeezed it tightly until Crowley gave the word to release it. One Pokeball in the gauntlet later, and it was snagged, causing the Archangel lackey to turn tail out of the cave. 

“They really didn’t think to give these guys more moves other than Shadow Rush?” Crowley wondered out loud, looking at Burmy’s Pokeball before pocketing it. “That’s a pretty big design flaw.” 

“Well, if those files are anything to go by, they’re still...experimenting with this whole ordeal,” Aziraphale pointed out, Crowley taking Aziraphale’s hand again as they walked on. “Perhaps they haven’t gotten that far yet.” 

Crowley hummed, “So how many is that now? Four?” 

“I believe so,” Aziraphale nodded, looking at the three that occupied his own jacket pockets as Crowley’s jacket was getting very crowded with snagged Pokemon. Pokeballs containing a Stunfisk, Mime Jr., and a Noibat rattled impatiently in his pocket. “I must say, their choices of Pokemon seem rather...random.” 

“Yeah, they are,” Crowley admitted. “Orre doesn’t really have wild Pokemon so they must be shipping them in or something.” 

“Why is that?” Aziraphale asked. “The lack of wild Pokemon, I mean.” 

“Orre is mostly desert,” Crowley answered. “Only a handful of Pokemon can survive in these conditions, and even then, resources are pretty rare; this place just isn’t good enough.” 

“That’s a shame,” Aziraphale said sadly. “If Phenac is anything to go by, this region could be beautiful if given enough time and effort.” 

“Easier said than done,” Crowley said. “The people here are too poor to really make a difference, the few rich people we have don’t do shit, and this place’s reputation is so far down the plughole that no one outside Orre is really chomping at the bit to lend a hand.” Crowley growled under his breath, “Welcome to Orre, stay with your group or risk getting robbed and mugged by a street gang; and now we can add more to our slogan: ‘We also create Shadow Pokemon; don’t like it? Tough’.” 

Aziraphale gave his hand a squeeze as they headed down some stairs, deeper into the cave, a look of sympathy on his face. Every other region seemed so peaceful, with nothing wrong; hearing about such hardships was difficult. 

They walked all the way down and found the area was much more lit than the caves. The sound of water filled the air as Aziraphale and Crowley found themselves in an underground reservoir. 

Aziraphale grimaced at the murky water below. “This isn’t where Pyrite gets their water, is it?” 

“Thankfully no; they learned that the hard way,” Crowley said. “Phenac is where they get their water.” 

Aziraphale nodded, deflating a bit in relief, not just for himself but for the citizens of Pyrite as well. They already seemed to have it bad enough, but at least they had good drinking water. “That’s very kind of Mayor Lucifer,” Aziraphale said. “Giving these poor people access to their water.” 

Crowley scoffed, “Kindness has nothing to do with it, angel,” He said sharply. “It’s business; Phenac is the only place in the region with actual clean water, so if Phenac decides to cut a place off, they’re screwed,” He glanced at Aziraphale, eyes hard behind his glasses. “Which means Pyrite and any other place relying on them will do and pay whatever it takes to keep their clean water coming.” 

Aziraphale’s face changed, looking quite horrified and conflicted. He had met the Mayor after all; he seemed so nice…

“No one’s a good person here, angel,” Crowley said as if reading his mind. “When it comes down to it, it’s every man for himself.” 

Crowley’s grip on Aziraphale’s hand seemed to loosen, but Aziraphale kept a firm grip, “Well, I know for a fact, that’s not true,” He said firmly. “Because I can easily think of one person who doesn’t fit that description in the slightest,”

Crowley said nothing, but he did give him a small glare when Aziraphale squeezed his hand again. 

* * *

After a bit of navigating around the reservoir, they came to the only path that seemed to lead back into a cave formation. This certainly seemed like an ideal place to hide and keep a prisoner, human or Pokemon. All that stood between them was a concrete bridge, arching over the rushing water that seemed a bit rougher and dangerous in this area. 

“Goodness...I imagine you wouldn’t be found for a good while if you fell down here,” Aziraphale commented shakily. Crowley nodded; he certainly wasn’t wrong. Who knew how many poor souls had fallen into the water when they were digging out this reservoir long ago. 

However, the comment echoed in Crowley’s head, making something come up that he hadn’t felt in a while: paranoia. Maybe it was because almost all gangs in Orre were idiots when push came to shove, but the Archangels were a whole different beast. Their henchmen weren’t anything special, but the leaders certainly were. Sandalphon certainly was. 

Crowley felt all his senses turn up as they started across the bridge; his eyes darted around, looking for anything out of place. It wasn’t until they reached the middle of the bridge that Crowley stopped. 

“Something wrong? Aziraphale asked. 

It was faint, but Crowley could barely hear what sounded like...beeping? Crowley let go of Aziraphale’s hand and wandered to the edge of the bridge, mindful that there were no railings. He leaned over and saw a small machine stuck to the supports of the bridge. It was then that he registered the red numbers...that was counting down from 3. 

“Oh, fu-” 

A loud explosion rang through the air. 

The bridge shook, Aziraphale and Crowley barely keeping their balance. Crowley stumbled away from the edge and grabbed Aziraphale as the bridge started to crumble beneath them, “Run!” They ran across the bridge, the concrete falling away behind them. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough, as the path in front of them was already starting to crumble, seconds from falling away. 

“Jump!” Crowley gave Aziraphale a hard shove, sending him flying to the solid end of the bridge as the rest completely crumbled away. 

Aziraphale sat up and realized he was alone. “Crowley?” Aziraphale’s gaze fell on the destroyed bridge, the rubble being washed away by the water. “Crowley!” Aziraphale scrambled towards the wreckage but couldn’t see Crowley anywhere in the filthy water. 

“Uh...little help here, angel?” 

Aziraphale sucked in a breath at the familiar but strained voice. He looked directly below him to see Crowley hanging on the edge of the bridge for dear life, the water churning hungrily below him. 

“Oh!” Aziraphale grabbed his hand as fast as he could and pulled with all his might, helping the Rogue onto the sturdy ground. The two sat on the ground for a moment, catching their breath from the sudden burst of action. 

“You alright?” Crowley breathed. 

Aziraphale blinked before giving him a look, “I...of _course_ I am, what about _you_?” 

“Thankful for my reflexes, that’s for sure,” Crowley replied between breaths. 

“What on earth was that?!” Aziraphale exclaimed. 

“Bombs,” Crowley said, getting to his feet, “Guess they wanted a fail-safe.” 

He helped Aziraphale up and Aziraphale’s eyes widened. “The Pokemon!” He exclaimed. “Are all the Pokemon still here?! None of them got knocked away did they?!” 

Crowley sucked in a breath and checked his jacket, doing a frantic count. Aziraphale checked his jacket and found the three Pokeballs he was carrying still on him. Crowley counted, then double-counted before cursing loudly, “I can’t find Wooloo!” 

“What?!” Aziraphale and Crowley looked around frantically until they spied a Pokeball resting on the ground, near the edge of the bridge. “Oh...oh thank goodness!” Aziraphale hurried and picked up the Pokeball containing Wooloo, holding it with two hands as if it were made of glass. “I thought we had lost you!” 

Crowley deflated in relief and took the Pokeball from Aziraphale. “C’mon, let’s find Piplup so we never have to see this place again.” 

“Agreed,” Aziraphale nodded. 

Crowley and Aziraphale followed the path into another tunnel, thankfully not hindered by any more explosives, when they reached a small, well-lit area. 

The moment they entered, they were surrounded by two Machoke and two Primeape, all four glaring at them dangerously. Aziraphale saw no shadows on them, but that didn’t deter his fear. 

“Well, I suppose I should commend you for making it this far,” Sandalphon emerged from a room in the back. “Particularly alive.” He glared at Aziraphale, “Although you are supposed to be far away from here; I suppose I should have known better than to trust those idiots to get one job done.” 

“W-We’re here to take Piplup back,” Aziraphale said as strongly as he could. 

Sandalphon snorted, “All this effort for one measly Pokemon?” He sneered at Crowley. “I would think a former Demon like you wouldn’t even bother with something so trivial.” 

Crowley frowned a bit at how he knew that, but didn’t address it, “Let’s just say taking Pokemon hostage is a low that even I won’t stoop to,” He said, releasing Arbok and Absol. “Why don’t you call off your boys here so we can settle this the old-fashioned way?” 

Sandalphon grinned, “Oh, but where’s the fun in that?” As if waiting for that cue, one of the Machoke’s grabbed Aziraphale, lifting him easily off the ground, catching them both off guard. 

“Angel!”

“Put me down!” Aziraphale struggled madly in the Pokemon’s grasp. 

“Toxic!” Crowley ordered. Arbok obeyed and a pool of poison appeared around Crowley and his team. The four Pokemon all wavered and the Machoke released Aziraphale, and Crowley made sure to yank him to safety before he stepped in the poison. Arbok cleared a path for them through the ooze, leading them away from the now poisoned Pokemon so they were a safe distance away. 

Crowley pushed Aziraphale behind him protectively, glaring at Sandalphon. “You don’t wanna play fair? Fine.” Crowley released Fletchinder and Helioptile to stand with Arbok and Absol, making more or a wall between Sandalphon and Aziraphale. “You want him, you gotta go through me.” 

Sandalphon looked almost excited and snapped his fingers, making the four fighting types charge, despite their poison status. 

“Anything bad, angel?” Crowley asked. 

“No, all of them are normal,” Aziraphale said. 

Crowley smirked. “Sweet; Absol!” Absol unleashed Thunderbolt and hit all the Pokemon, but unfortunately, the two Primeape charged through it, the attack only pissing them off. “Fletchinder, Peck! Helioptile, Shadow Rush!” Crowley yelled before pulling Aziraphale away from the action once again as the four Pokemon collided. “Stay close to me!” 

“R-Right!” Aziraphale nodded. 

Fletchinder’s attack landed, but it got an Assurance attack to the face in retaliation. Helioptile, on the other hand, managed to land its attack and slip away before going back in for another Shadow Rush unprompted, and then another, taking the Primeape down. 

“Okay, one down, three to go,” Crowley commented. “Absol, Psycho Cut on Machoke!” The attack easily cut down the Machoke, thanks to all the damage from the poison and the previous Thunderbolt, and a quick Acid from Arbok easily took care of the other one. 

That just left a single Primeape, who was combatting the poison and still trying to hit the Helioptile that was running circles around it; that one was certainly energetic. Unfortunately, Primeape eventually got a hit in with a Cross Chop, sending the little Pokemon into the wall. 

“Fletchinder, Shadow Rush!” Fletchinder did just that, but Primeape still wasn’t going down. That’s when Helioptile got up, eyes burning with rage and Crowley grinned. “I like this one’s spunk; Shadow Rush!” 

Helioptile growled and charged, landing a direct hit and letting out a victory cry when Primeape keeled over. “Okay, easy now, Helioptile,” Crowley said, ready to recall it if things went south. 

Sandalphon recalled the four Pokemon to their Pokeballs but seemed disturbingly calm about it. “It seems you’ve grown quite accustomed to those Shadow Pokemon you rudely stole from us,” He said before taking out another Pokeball. “Let’s see how skilled you really are when you get a taste of your own medicine.” 

Sandalphon tossed the Pokeball and a Lycanroc was released, a Midnight form one to be precise. 

Aziraphale took a shaky breath as shadows covered the large Pokemon, making its red eyes look even more demonic. 

Crowley was already looking at Aziraphale for confirmation and he gave a shaky nod. “Alright, then we’ll fight fire with fire.” He gave the order and both Fletchinder and Helioptile eagerly charged towards it with Shadow Rush. 

But Lycanroc swatted the two aside with ease, forcing Crowley to recall the two of them. The Lycanroc howled and then glared at Crowley, its eyes glazed over. 

It was in Hyper Mode. 

Sandalphon grinned toothily and took a step back. Without warning, Lycanroc sprang forward and knocked Crowley off his feet. Stars exploded in his vision as his head hit the wall and they faded just as Lycanroc stood over him, a mouthful of fangs heading his way. 

He instinctively held up his arm to defend himself, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. Crowley screamed as fangs sunk into his arm, easily piercing his jacket and his skin. 

“Crowley!” Aziraphale cried. Crowley struggled to get the rabid Pokemon off him, not letting go of his arm, and Aziraphale looked around helplessly. His eyes fell on the first thing he could pick up, which happened to be a decent-sized rock and he threw it at the Lycanroc. The rock nailed the Pokemon right on the head, making it release Crowley, but turn its furious gaze on Aziraphale. 

“Oh…” Aziraphale began backing up. “Oh dear…” Aziraphale tripped backward and scrambled away from the prowling Pokemon until his back hit a wall. He stared up at the large Pokemon in fear as it raised a claw to rip him apart...when Crowley made a clicking noise. 

Arbok and Absol pounced on the Lycanroc, making it snarl loudly and stagger away from Aziraphale. 

Crowley climbed to his feet using the wall and fumbled for another Pokeball as Absol and Arbok were roughly swatted away. “Please have a good move…!” He released Lumineon and scanned it with his PDA, his shaky hand barely able to hold it. Shadow Rush and...yes! 

“Use Water Pulse!” Crowley thanked whatever deity above that Lumineon obeyed, landing a direct hit on Lycanroc and dealing massive damage. 

As the Lycanroc stumbled around in pain, Crowley fumbled for another Pokeball, loading an Ultra Ball into the Gauntlet. He wasn’t taking any chances with this one. He relished the look on Sandalphon’s face when the Pokeball shook three times and then clicked, signaling the successful capture. 

With no Pokemon left, Sandalphon had no other cards to play. “This isn’t over…” He growled before leaving out another door, scurrying away like a rat. 

Crowley slumped against the wall in relief while Aziraphale deflated on his spot on the ground. That had been too close. Absol and Arbok hurried over to Crowley in concern, and he gave them each a pat, “Great job guys,” He said softly before recalling them. 

He glanced down at his arm and winced a bit, before turning his attention to Aziraphale who was getting up as well. “Well, I think it’s safe to say we don’t have to worry about him for a while,” Crowley said, gesturing to the door where he exited. 

“I certainly hope so,” Aziraphale said before blinking, “Oh! Piplup, we need to find Piplup!” Their eyes fell on the door near the back of the room. After peeking inside, making sure it wasn’t rigged with any traps, they entered another large area. 

In the middle of a bunch of spotlights, a small Piplup was sitting in a small cage. “Oh, the poor dear!” Aziraphale exclaimed. They hurried over and knelt in front of the cage. 

The Piplup cowered as Crowley opened it. “Piplup…!” It whined.

“Oh, there there dear, it’s alright,” Aziraphale soothed. “We’re not going to hurt you.” 

The small penguin slowly looked up, likely realizing these weren’t the same goons who had taken it. “Lup…” The Pokemon waddled out and Aziraphale gave it a gentle pat on the head. Once Piplup seemed a bit calmer, Aziraphale carefully picked it up. 

“You poor thing, you must have been scared to death,” Aziraphale said sadly. “And you’re probably starving, they couldn’t have taken good care of you in this terrible place.” 

“Piplup…” The Pokemon nodded. 

Aziraphale and Crowley stood and Crowley’s hand went into his pocket where he pulled out a few Poffins, “Here,” He held them out to Aziraphale. 

“I didn’t think you were the type to carry Poffins,” Aziraphale said with a smile, taking them. 

Crowley shrugged, “Corviknight likes ‘em,” Aziraphale gave one of the Poffins to Piplup, and the little penguin immediately began munching on it happily. 

“Come, let’s get you home,” Aziraphale said, starting out the door. “Careful now, don’t eat them too fast!” He chuckled. 

Crowley smirked a bit at the sight, “Never good around Pokemon, huh?” He muttered to himself before following. Seems his hunch about Aziraphale was right after all. 

* * *

Warlock was waiting outside when Aziraphale and Crowley arrived at the Dowling house. The boy lit up at the sight of them and Piplup curled up in Aziraphale’s arms. “Mom! Dad! They’re back! And Piplup’s back too!” He yelled inside before running up to them. 

Both Dowlings and Shadwell emerged from the house and Aziraphale set Piplup down. The small Pokemon ran to the family, where it was promptly picked up by Warlock and put in a group hug. 

“Sandalphon ran off,” Crowley said. “I don’t think you have to worry about seeing him again.” 

“Thank you,” Thaddeus nodded. 

“Sergeant, I think you’ll find a few Archangel thugs in the cave on top of that building,” Crowley said softly to Shadwell. “They had quite the hideout in there.” 

“Consider it done,” Shadwell nodded, giving a salute. “Well done, Private.” 

“Thank you both so much,” Harriet said gratefully, Warlock putting Piplup down. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.” 

“We’re just glad Piplup is alright,” Aziraphale said politely. 

“Yeah, and we got the bruises to show for it,” Crowley grumbled, earning a small nudge and glare from Aziraphale. 

“Well, we certainly owe you,” Thaddeus said. “If there’s anything we can do, just say the word.” 

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Crowley said. “So, what do you say to getting some food, angel?” 

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Aziraphale smiled. But just as they turned to go… 

“Piplup pip!” 

Aziraphale felt a tug on his ankle and turned to see Piplup tugging on his pant leg. He smiled at the adorable gesture. “What is it, dearheart?” 

“I think Piplup likes you,” Warlock commented. 

Piplup looked up at Aziraphale and Crowley, “Pip piplup!” It waved its little flippers around, almost imitating punching, a determined look in its eyes. 

“Well, that’s odd; he’s usually so shy,” Harriet observed. Thaddeus chuckled, “Looks like Piplup wants to come along on your little adventure.” 

“W-What?” Aziraphale looked down at Piplup who was looking up at him happily. He looked back at the Dowlings who seemed to have no qualms with that statement. “No, I-I...I couldn’t possibly…” He stammered. “Piplup is yours-” 

Thaddeus waved his hand, “Piplup has always been pretty clear on what he wants.” 

“He wants to go beat up bad guys!” Warlock said excitedly. 

“Piplup has always been very energetic,” Harriet agreed. “This place just isn’t enough for him.” 

Aziraphale looked back down at Piplup who looked right back him, feeling his heart race. “Are...are you sure?” He asked one last time. 

Thaddeus nodded. “Just promise that you’ll take good care of him.” 

Aziraphale gave a firm nod, “I will, I promise.” 

“Lup!” Piplup jumped up and down happily before leaping into Aziraphale’s arms, catching him a bit off guard. 

“A non-shadow Pokemon joining us; a nice change of pace,” Crowley commented. They bade farewell to the Dowlings and headed back to the hotel. “So...if I’m not mistaken, you just got your first Pokemon, angel,” Crowley said with a smirk and looking at Piplup. “How does it feel?” 

“I’ll admit, a bit terrifying,” Aziraphale said. He looked at Piplup and gave him a pat. “But also...it feels very invigorating; I’m...I’m quite excited actually.” 

Crowley nudged him. “See? You were wrong.” 

“Wrong about what?” 

“That you weren’t good around Pokemon,” Crowley said, before giving the Piplup a little scratch on the head himself. “Guess all it took was a little kidnapping and a rescue mission to push you in the right direction.” 

“Well, I certainly hope that doesn’t become a habit,” Aziraphale shot back with a smile. 

“Piplup!” Piplup agreed with a smile, warming Aziraphale’s heart as he gazed at his new partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Pokemon victory jingle* Aziraphale received a Piplup!
> 
> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Lampent, Fletchinder, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, Blitzle, *Stunfisk, *Mime Jr., *Noibat, *Burmy, *Lycanroc (Midnight)  
> (*new)


	7. A Forgotten Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale remembers the whole reason he was in Orre in the first place, and also grows a bit closer to Crowley.

Aziraphale turned over in his bed in the hotel and winced as the bruise on his back throbbed in pain, once again disrupting his attempts to sleep. That scoundrel with the metal bar had really gotten a good hit in. 

It wasn’t until after he and Crowley had eaten that the adrenaline finally wore off and they remembered how much of a beating they had taken. Aziraphale was sporting two bruises, one on his back where he was hit with the metal bar, and one on his head when he had been kidnapped from the colosseum. He had spent a good few hours before turning in for the night pressing ice packs to the areas, but it hadn’t done much to quell the pain. 

Piplup popped up from where he was sleeping by his side and put his flippers on his chest, watching him with concern. Such a sweet thing. 

Aziraphale smiled at him, “I’ll be fine, don’t worry yourself and go back to sleep,” He gave Piplup a reassuring pat. “We have quite a trip ahead of us tomorrow.” Aziraphale’s smile faded at the thought. 

While eating dinner, Crowley had brought up a troubling subject that they had both forgotten about. “Wait...weren’t you heading to Agate Village or something before all this?” 

Aziraphale had stopped what he was doing and his eyes grew wide as if he had just realized something terrible. “Oh good lord, I completely forgot!” He exclaimed. “I was supposed to be in Agate village days ago, I’m expected!” 

Crowley was able to console him that they could easily make the trip tomorrow, but Aziraphale was still internally kicking himself that he had forgotten so easily. Then again, he had been kidnapped, dragged out of his way, held hostage, and then kidnapped again, so he supposed he could be forgiven for it. 

“Piplup…” Piplup looked at him with a smile as if saying that everything would be alright. 

“You’re so thoughtful, dearheart,” Aziraphale said kindly, sitting up and holding the small Pokemon in his lap. “I think my friends will be very happy to meet you.” 

“Lup!” The penguin exclaimed. 

“Fuck…!” Aziraphale was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a decently loud curse from the bathroom. He hadn’t noticed that the bathroom light was on and Crowley wasn’t in the bed next to his. Arbok and Absol were wide awake too, eyes on the light source. 

“Crowley?” Aziraphale called. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine,” Came the short, clipped response. “Did I wake you?” 

Aziraphale frowned and looked at Piplup who was wearing a similar suspicious expression. “No, I was already awake...Crowley, what on earth are you doing in there at this hour?”

“Nothing, just go back to sleep, angel.” 

Aziraphale’s frown deepened; he wasn’t going to let that nickname sway him. He got up and entered the bathroom, to see Crowley looking in the mirror wearing an undershirt, but that wasn’t what made Aziraphale freeze in his tracks. 

“Crowley!” Aziraphale gasped. The rogue looked terrible, to put it bluntly. His arm was a mess, covered in dried blood and bite marks that still were still dripping blood. His middle was also covered in nasty bruises, likely from all the Shadow Rush attacks he took. Combined with their exhaustion and his excitement over having his own Pokemon, Aziraphale had completely forgotten about his injuries! 

“What the hell-?!” 

“Relax, angel, I’m taking care of this!” Crowley hissed. 

“Have you been like this since we left that cave?!” Aziraphale demanded. “You were like this all through dinner?!” 

Crowley rolled his eyes, “Calm down, I’ve had worse.” 

“No, I will not calm down!” Aziraphale stomped his foot; he was so frustrated that he barely noticed Piplup had imitated the gesture, equally as upset. “You can’t take care of that yourself, I’m putting an end to this!” 

“Wha-hey!” Crowley protested as Aziraphale grabbed him by his good arm and marched him over to the armchair in their room and sat him down before turning on the lights. 

“Honestly, and you were making such a fuss over me and my small bruises,” Aziraphale muttered. “I can’t believe you…” 

Crowley winced as Aziraphale looked over and prodded his bruises to see how bad they were, “Look, angel, if it bothers you so much just drop me off at the Pokemon Center and-” 

“Absolutely not,” Aziraphale said sharply. “Knowing you, you’d just climb out the window the moment they left you alone.” 

Crowley gaped, “You don’t know that!” 

“Oh don’t you try and fool me,” Aziraphale said, giving him a look. “You haven’t brought up your injuries once ever since we escaped from Phenac, and now I catch you tending to yourself while I was asleep? You really are a wily serpent when it comes down to your own well-being.” 

Crowley growled under his breath and looked away until Aziraphale stood. “I’m going to get some proper medical supplies,” He said. “Lord knows we may need a lot more if we run into more trouble with these Archangels…” Piplup obediently followed after him as he headed for the door. “Arbok, Absol, do make sure he doesn’t get up and hurt himself; I’ll be back as fast as I can.” 

Piplup hurried out the door after Aziraphale and Crowley snorted. “Angel’s got some backbone,” He said. He tried to get up, but Absol appeared in front of him, forcing him back down. “Wha-” 

Arbok slithered around his ankles snugly and lay her head on his lap with a soft but stern look. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Crowley slumped, “I’ve been betrayed by my own Pokemon!” 

Arbok purred as a kind of laugh while Absol gave him a look that clearly said ‘Deal with it,’. Crowley groaned.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Aziraphale and Piplup returned, Aziraphale holding a bag of supplies. Only then did Arbok remove herself from Crowley’s legs and move aside with Absol to let Aziraphale approach. Aziraphale knelt by the chair and got some of the ice packs he had used earlier and placed them on Crowley’s abdomen. 

“I certainly hope nothing’s broken,” Aziraphale said, worriedly. 

Crowley tried to get up, “Aziraphale, really, I’m-” Crowley was cut off by his own grunt of pain and Aziraphale’s hands appeared on his shoulders. 

“Please, just...allow me this,” Aziraphale said, gently pushing him down into the armchair. “You’ve saved my life three times now, maybe more, and I would be remiss if I didn’t pay you back somehow.” 

“Didn’t ask you to…” Crowley sighed softly but didn’t protest as Aziraphale got up and got the supplies he needed for his arm. He could tend to the bruises later; Crowley’s arm was the real danger. 

When he was ready, he sat by Crowley’s side again and started cleaning the blood on his arm with a damp cloth. Crowley hissed in pain. 

“Sorry,” Aziraphale murmured. He grimaced as he cleaned the wounds, seeing the nasty bite marks in all their glory. 

“Definitely can’t wait to battle with that thing,” Crowley admitted, his eyes falling on his discarded jacket where Lycanroc’s Pokeball was kept. 

“We just have to keep it out of Hyper Mode,” Aziraphale agreed. “And perhaps have a water type on standby, just in case…” 

“Lup!” Piplup stepped up bravely, volunteering its services. 

“Well, aren’t you a brave little fellow?” Aziraphale commented. 

“Pip piplup!” Piplup beamed proudly. Aziraphale chuckled and turned back to Crowley, spreading the needed medicine to keep it from getting infected. Absol and Arbok watched in silence, while Piplup occasionally handed Aziraphale something he needed. 

Eventually, Crowley’s arm was safely wrapped up in a bandage and his middle was also bandaged with padding underneath. “There...that should at least make sleeping easier for now,” Aziraphale said. Crowley examined his bandaged arm, already feeling the effects of how well Aziraphale had dressed it. No one had ever offered to fix him before… 

“Thanks, angel,” Crowley murmured. 

Aziraphale smiled, “You’re most welcome, my dear; it’s the least I could do.” 

“My dear?” Crowley repeated without meaning to. 

Aziraphale blinked and flushed pink, his eyes growing wide, “Oh…! Oh dear, did, did I say that?”

“I-I don’t mind!” Crowley quickly resolved. “I mean, I call you angel, figures you would…” 

“Erm, yes, ah...” Aziraphale distracted himself by putting the supplies away. “It’s a...bit of a habit, you could say...for people I consider...good friends…” 

“Right…” 

There was a bout of silence, Absol, Arbok, and Piplup glancing between the two. “Well...it’s quite late,” Aziraphale said. “I suppose we should all get some sleep for the trip tomorrow.” Crowley nodded and slowly got up from the chair, only wincing a bit from the bruises. The padding was certainly helping. 

They got in their respective beds, Piplup joining Aziraphale and Absol and Arbok getting comfortable near or around Crowley’s bed. 

“Night, angel.” 

“Goodnight, Crowley.” 

* * *

Crowley had to hand it to Aziraphale, it was much easier to get to sleep with his injuries properly cared for. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this good after getting patched up. Maybe having two sets of hands around to help really did make a difference. 

However, his sleep was interrupted by something pushing him and a high pitched cry in his ear. Crowley groaned, cracking his eyes open, and turned over to see Piplup pushing his shoulder. “What do you want?” He slurred sleepily. 

“Piplup pip!” The little Pokemon cried out in distress and pointed to Aziraphale’s bed. Crowley sat up abruptly, thinking he had been taken again, but he was still safely in bed. But that wasn’t the source of Piplup’s distress. Aziraphale’s face was pinched in anguish as he tossed and turned, scratching at his sheets. Sweat was soaking his face as well and Crowley swore, hurrying out of bed. 

“Aziraphale!” He called softly, taking the man’s shoulders and shaking them. “Aziraphale, wake up! Dammit angel, wake up!” Aziraphale’s eyes flew open and they darted around before resting on Crowley’s own eyes. “It’s okay,” Crowley said. “It’s me, you’re okay.” 

Aziraphale breathed heavily, slowly coming back to his senses. Piplup appeared by Aziraphale’s side, worry in its gaze. 

“You good?” Crowley asked. 

“Ah...y-yes I...I believe s-so…” Aziraphale sat up, making Crowley stand by his side. Aziraphale took deep breaths trying to calm his beating heart, wiping the sweat away. 

His bed dipped down and he looked up to see Crowley holding a damp cloth and a cup of water. “Here,” He said. “Cool water helps.” Aziraphale took the cloth and wiped his face with it, sighing as the cool water soothed his skin. 

“Pip…” 

Piplup moved closer to Aziraphale and he gently pet the Pokemon, “Oh...I’m sorry my dear, did, did I wake you?” He asked softly. 

“Lup…” 

“He woke _me_ up,” Crowley added, handing Aziraphale the water. “I almost thought those Archangel assholes had snatched you right out of your bed.” 

Aziraphale grimaced at the thought as he sipped his water. “Don’t usually get nightmares…” He muttered. 

“It’s the heat,” Crowley said. “Can make some pretty nasty stuff show up in your head.” 

“It was so cold last time...in your car…” 

“That’s because we were in the middle of the desert; this is a city,” Crowley explained. “More buildings and people, more places for heat to get trapped.” 

“It is rather uncomfortable,” Aziraphale admitted. 

“The first whiplash is always the worst,” Crowley agreed. “...Think you’ll be able to get back to sleep?” Aziraphale froze mid-sip. He finished sipping after a few moments and stared at the cup in his hands, Piplup putting a flipper on his arm in comfort. “That bad, huh?” Crowley asked. 

“It was...them,” Aziraphale said softly. “They...they caught me again and...those Pokemon were everywhere...I had nowhere to run…” 

Crowley nodded in understanding. “I used to have pretty bad nightmares too; still do sometimes,” He said. “Back when I was a Demon...I never got my hands especially dirty when it came down to it, but that stuff sticks with you.” 

“I can’t imagine you doing such terrible things with a gang,” Aziraphale said. “But then again, I have no idea how the Demons compare to the Archangels.” 

Crowley snorted, “The Archangels make the Demons look like common bad boys if you ask me.” Aziraphale giggled a bit, making Crowley feel a swell of warmth. Aziraphale had a nice smile. “Well, if you’re having trouble sleeping, you wanna hear how I met Absol and Arbok?” Crowley asked, crawling back into his bed facing his companion. 

“Well, I...I suppose that would help me take my mind off things,” Aziraphale said, nestling back under the covers. Piplup moved so that he was curled in the crook of Aziraphale’s arm while he faced Crowley. 

Absol let out a low growl and Crowley glared at him, “Hey, consider this payback for holding me hostage in that armchair earlier.” Absol growled again but lowered his head to go back to sleep. “Anyway, it was back when I was a kid, about eleven or twelve in the Galar region-” 

“You’re from Galar?” Aziraphale asked, perking up. 

Crowley blinked. “I am,” 

“So am I; that’s quite a coincidence, we could have run into each other as children,” Aziraphale said brightly. 

Crowley shrugged, “Hm, maybe; though I feel like I would’ve remembered you.” 

Aziraphale hummed, “I feel the same about you; I bet you were quite the mischievous little one.” 

“You wound me, angel,” Crowley said. “Anyway, my mum used to travel a lot for work, and she would send me gifts and things. One day, she found a pretty rare Pokemon while in Kalos and sent it to me. That was Absol.” 

“So Absol was your first Pokemon?” Aziraphale asked. 

“Nope, Arbok was,” Crowley corrected. “Found her as an Ekans near the docks on a ship; not sure how she got there but you know, Ekans aren’t native to Galar, so I took her before anyone else could and we’ve been together ever since. Corviknight came next who I caught the old fashioned way, then Absol.” 

“I see,” Aziraphale nodded. “Your mother is very lucky to have gone to Kalos; I’ve always wanted to see it for myself.” 

“Yeah, I was pretty jealous; was why she kept sending me presents, to get me to stop pestering her about taking me along,” Crowley agreed. “You could tell Absol was from Kalos too; bastard was a snotty brat, weren’t you, boy?” 

“Absol…” Absol snarled. 

“Where is your mother now?” Aziraphale asked. “Does she and your father live in Orre as well?” 

Crowley snorted loudly, “Hell no.” Aziraphale’s smile faded a bit at the odd answer. Crowley’s smile seemed to vanish as well, “Ah, it’s...it’s not important, I’m supposed to be telling you about my Pokemon, not my parents.” 

Aziraphale didn’t feel too sure but decided the polite thing was not to pry. It was Crowley’s business what he did and didn’t tell him. He settled for getting comfortable and letting Crowley’s stories gently lull him back to sleep. 

* * *

The next day, after tying up some loose ends (including Aziraphale receiving Piplup’s Pokeball, and Crowley registering both Dowling and Shadwell’s contacts in his PDA should more Archangels show up), they were back in Crowley’s car and off to Agate. Piplup gazed out the window on Aziraphale’s lap while Aziraphale fiddled with his fingers. 

Crowley glanced at him, a telling look in his eyes, “Nervous?” 

“What, no!” Aziraphale exclaimed too quickly. Crowley looked at him and even Piplup gave him a look, making him deflate. “Well...yes, but I shouldn’t be! It’s...I’m just being silly,” He messed with his ring. “It’s just...what am I going to tell them?” 

“...The truth?” Crowley suggested dryly. 

“I don’t want to worry them any more than I already have!” Aziraphale exclaimed. “And how exactly am I supposed to casually tell them that I’ve been kidnapped and am wanted by a criminal organization because I can see evil Shadow Pokemon?!” 

Crowley pursed his lips at the good point; that was a bit of a stretch and it was a lot to unpack. “Well, we can always just show them if they don’t believe you,” Crowley said. “And if they don’t...who cares? I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?” 

“...Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Aziraphale conceded. 

“And hey, Orre is a small region, maybe someone there knows something about the Shadow Pokemon,” Crowley added. “It’s got lots of old people, old people know lots of things.” 

A smile pulled at Aziraphale’s face, “I just hope those Archangels don’t follow me…” 

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for, remember?” Crowley said. “And I got Corviknight on skywatch; you’ll be fine.” Aziraphale nodded, his smile growing stronger, just as their destination came into view. 

If Phenac City was a jewel, then Agate Village was nothing short of Eden. It was the only lush and fertile land in the entire region and was such a sight for sore eyes if you lived in the desert. Everything, even the houses felt lush and alive, thriving in the miraculous nature that occurred there. In fact, the whole village was built around the vegetation of a large tree, as if the cottages were its roots. 

Crowley didn’t spend a lot of time in Agate himself, mostly because it was used more for the elderly than for trainers. It had no colosseum, no battlefields, it was just a peaceful place where the elderly preferred to spend the rest of their days. Crowley parked the car and they got out, breathing in the fresh air. 

Crowley had to remind himself to let Absol and Arbok stretch their legs here while they had a chance. “So, you got relatives here?” 

“Oh no, just an old friend and her husband,” Aziraphale answered. “They always come to Galar to visit me, so this time I had decided to come to them for a change,” He grimaced. “I must say, this trip hasn’t turned out the way I had hoped it would…” 

“Piplup!” Piplup tapped his leg and jumped up so he was perched on his shoulder, making Aziraphale startle a bit. “Pip piplup!”

Aziraphale chuckled and rubbed Piplup under its chin, “Well, at least quite a few good things came out of it.” 

Crowley smiled. “Lead the way, angel.” They walked through the small village, Crowley easily ignoring the suspicious looks from the older locals; they always had a problem with rogues and basically anyone who didn’t look like a decent person (which ruled out about 70% of Orre’s population, honestly). 

Eventually, they came to a very nice little cottage that was nestled under the tree. “Here we are,” Aziraphale announced. “Oh, I hope I haven’t worried everyone too terribly…” 

No sooner had they crossed the threshold of the gate, the door opened, revealing a young woman with long black hair and glasses. 

The woman lit up with joy, making Aziraphale relax as well, seeing a familiar face. “Aziraphale!” She ran out and threw her arms around him. 

“Hello Anathema,” Aziraphale said softly and returning the hug tightly. Seeing an old friend of his felt much more special after escaping with his life multiple times. 

“You had us worried sick!” Anathema exclaimed. “It’s three days past when you were supposed to arrive, what happened?!” She blinked as Piplup was on Aziraphale’s back, looking at her curiously. “And when did you get a Pokemon?!” Aziraphale squeezed his eyes shut as he didn’t respond and held her tighter. “Aziraphale?” 

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Aziraphale finally pulled away. “Quite a bit happened and, I...I’m afraid I’ve gotten myself into a spot of trouble.” 

Crowley snorted. That finally drew Anathema’s attention to him. “Who is this?” 

Aziraphale looked at Crowley and lit up. “Ah, of course, Anathema, this is Anthony Crowley,” He said. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have ever made it here.” 

Crowley gave a little wave, “Hey.” 

Anathema gave him a confused but curious look; not what he was expecting honestly. “Why don’t you two come inside,” Anathema said slowly, her eyes still on Crowley, that curious gleam still there. “Then you can explain yourselves.” 

Aziraphale deflated in relief; that had gone way better than he was expecting. He glanced back at Crowley who slowly followed him into the little cottage. Crowley had a pretty good feeling that this visit was either going to be extremely awkward for him and even more so for Aziraphale. 

Well...what’s the worst that could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Lampent, Fletchinder, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, Blitzle, Stunfisk, Mime Jr., Noibat, Burmy, Lycanroc (Midnight)


	8. The Relic Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble continues to follow Aziraphale and Crowley, even all the way to Agate Village.

This was probably worse than Crowley imagined. He was currently sitting at a table with Aziraphale, Anathema, and her husband Newton, the two hosts listening intently as Aziraphale told them what had transpired in the last three days. 

And rather than being grilled by awkward questions that Crowley knew were designed to be turned against him, like he was used to, he just sat there quietly. Thank god he had his glasses on so he could stare at nothing without it being obvious. 

Piplup sat on the table, munching on some homemade Pokesnacks Newt had made, while the humans all nursed cups of tea. And no, he wasn’t being overdramatic at all! He just...wasn’t used to strangers inviting him into their home and giving him tea, that’s all! 

“This all really happened?” Newt asked once Aziraphale was finished with their story. 

“Honestly, it all happened so fast I’m a bit surprised as well,” Aziraphale admitted. “And I owe my survival through it all to Crowley.” 

Crowley shifted uncomfortably, “Just did what I had to do…” He muttered. 

Aziraphale smiled and gently squeezed his shoulder before seeing that Anathema seemed a bit troubled. “Anathema?” Aziraphale called. “You’ve been awfully quiet…”

“Could I see one of those Shadow Pokemon you have?” She asked. 

Aziraphale looked at Crowley who shrugged and pulled out a Pokeball, deciding to release Mime Jr. Newt and Anathema shuddered at the angry and bloodthirsty expression on its face as it wandered around, likely looking for a fight. 

Anathema looked at it as close as she could before shaking her head, “I don’t get it…” 

“Get what?” Newt asked. 

“I can’t see any shadowy aura,” Anathema said. 

“Well...why would you be able to see it?” Aziraphale asked. 

“I’ve...never really told you this Aziraphale, but, I can see auras too,” Anathema said. 

“You can?!” Aziraphale exclaimed. 

“Well, the difference is, I see the auras of humans, not Pokemon,” Anathema clarified. “But I thought since these Shadow Pokemon have a different aura I’d be able to see them.”

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Crowley spoke up. “That ability is what put a target on Aziraphale’s back in the first place.”

“Because they don’t want him to tell anyone?” Anathema asked. 

“No, more so because they want him ‘under the knife’ as they say,” Crowley explained. “After that...I don’t wanna think about it.” 

“They want to experiment on him?!” Newt exclaimed. 

“These Shadow Pokemon are still experiments themselves,” Aziraphale answered. “So I imagine they want to conduct more tests and...make sure there are no obstacles in the way.” Crowley recalled Mime Jr as it was starting to prowl around, glaring at Piplup every now and then. 

“How many of these Shadow Pokemon have they made?” Anathema asked. 

“I’m afraid we haven’t a clue,” Aziraphale said. “But we’ve encountered so many that I think there might still be more out there.” 

Crowley opened his jacket, showing all the Pokeballs containing Shadow Pokemon, “Honestly, we’ve lost count by this point.” Newt and Anathema’s eyes widened at the amount of Pokemon. 

“How did you get all of them?” Newt asked. 

Aziraphale looked a bit panicked at how to word the explanation, “Um, well you see, Crowley has this, er, machine and...it allows him to...um, free them from-” 

“I stole them,” Crowley cut in dryly. 

“You what?!” Anathema exclaimed while Newt looked horrified. 

“O-Only the Shadow ones!” Aziraphale quickly added, “And most of them were from those Archangels anyway, so in a sense, they had it coming!” 

“What, did you just grab the Pokeballs off of them?!” Anathema demanded. 

“W-Well, like I was saying, Crowley has a machine,” Aziraphale said, trying to calm them. “It...allows him to capture a trainer’s Pokemon while in battle.” Crowley raised his right arm and pulled down his coat sleeve to reveal part of the gauntlet. 

Newt got up and walked towards Crowley, “Please, may I…?” He asked, gesturing to the gauntlet. Crowley shrugged and took off his jacket fully, allowing the gauntlet to be in full view. 

Newt ventured over and examined the machine carefully, his eyes wide with wonder. “Where did you find something like this?” Newt breathed. 

Aziraphale looked a bit panicked but Crowley wasn’t bothered, “May as well get this over with,” He said. “I used to be a Demon.” 

Anathema blinked; her eyes hadn’t left Crowley for a while now, “You mean those gang members in the desert?” 

“Yep,” Crowley said. “Ran with ‘em for a while, had some fun, but then I got sick of it; so, I saw that they were making this thing,” He tapped the gauntlet. “I stole it and drove off, met Aziraphale not long after.” Anathema was silent. 

“N-Now I know that sounds bad, Anathema, but really, he is a good person!” Aziraphale protested. “It took me a while to trust him myself but-” 

“Honestly, that explains a lot,” Anathema said calmly. 

Aziraphale and Crowley both blinked, “Huh?” 

“Eh?” 

“Your aura,” Anathema clarified. “It’s kinda dark and mean-looking, but it’s actually kinda...soft too; I’ve been trying to figure out why ever since you got here.”

Crowley recoiled like he had been burned, “I’m not soft,” He hissed. 

Anathema hummed and smiled, but didn’t take her words back. “So, what’s your plan now?” 

“Pardon?” Aziraphale asked. 

“What’s your next move?” Anathema clarified. “I mean after all that, you didn’t just plan to come here and forget about it, did you?” 

“Well, that’s up to him,” Crowley gestured to Aziraphale. “I gotta go wherever he goes to make sure those Archangels don’t grab him; part of our Arrangement.” 

“Well...we were wondering if this village has any information on Shadow Pokemon, or perhaps a way to turn them back to normal,” Aziraphale said. “Crowley’s been battling with them, which seems to make the shadows fade but...there seems to be a final lock on the door to their hearts if you pardon my metaphor.” 

Anathema looked thoughtful, Well, now that I think about it-” 

She was cut off as the door burst open, “Mr. and Mrs. Pulsifer! There’s trouble!” A young man hurried inside. 

“What’s wrong?” Newt asked, finally no longer looking at the Snag gauntlet. 

“Intruders!” The man said breathlessly. “A bunch of men in strange outfits and helmets...they’ve invaded the shrine!” Anathema shot to her feet in alarm. 

“Those bloody Archangels!” Crowley growled, also getting up. 

“Oh dear…” Aziraphale murmured, picking up Piplup. 

“Have they done anything to the shrine?” Anathema demanded. 

“Not that we know of,” The man said. “They won’t let anyone in!” 

“Anathema, I’m so sorry,” Aziraphale said. “This is all my fault, they’re likely here because they’re after me.”

“That’s not something you need to apologize for, Aziraphale,” Anathema said seriously. “They haven’t done anything damaging, yet.” 

“We’re telling all the villagers to stay indoors until we get the situation under control,” The man said. “The same goes for you and your husband.” 

“We have Pokemon, you know,” Anathema said hotly. “We’re not like the elderly people living here, we can protect ourselves!” 

“We’re just looking out for everyone here,” The man said. “It’s in your best interest to stay indoors and out of sight.” 

“How exactly are you planning to handle this?” Anathema asked sharply. “Send for help all the way from Phenac?” 

“Darling, he’s just doing his job,” Newt tried to calm her. 

As they argued, Aziraphale went up to Crowley, “Crowley, we need to do something,” He whispered. “They might have brought more Shadow Pokemon!” 

“Sounds good to me,” Crowley whispered back. “I personally wanna know why they’re going for this shrine; if they were after you, wouldn’t they have stormed the house?” 

“Oh, don’t say such dreadful things!” Aziraphale scolded. 

“Hey,” Crowley stepped up to the arguing group, “What’s so special about this shrine?” 

“Oh, it’s a shrine for Celebi,” Newt answered. 

Crowley raised his eyebrows, “Does Celebi actually show up there?”

“Supposedly, yes, but not all the time,” Newt said. “Why?” 

That was the information Crowley needed. “Let’s go, angel.” Aziraphale lit up while Piplup let out a small cheer. 

“Wha-where are you going?!” Anathema demanded. 

“To this shrine,” Crowley answered. “The Archangels are probably there to try and capture Celebi, and I don’t wanna see what happens when they get their hands on a legendary.” 

“Anathema, we’ve handled these men before,” Aziraphale reassured her. “And if they have more Shadow Pokemon, we have to make sure to get them away from those terrible people.” 

“B-But every villager has to stay indoors!” The man protested as they headed for the door. 

“We’re not villagers, mate,” Crowley said simply before they left. 

* * *

They reached the cave and made sure to not be seen the closer they got. They crossed a small bridge where the entrance to the shrine was visible and ducked down. Two masked men were guarding the entrance, and they were armed. They weren’t taking any chances this time. 

“Shit, we’re gonna have to either sneak in or take ‘em out,” Crowley said. 

Aziraphale looked at them and then glanced at Piplup. “Crowley, what moves does Piplup know?” 

Crowley blinked, “You got a plan?” 

“Perhaps.” 

Crowley left it at that and took out his PDA, scanning the small Pokemon. “Uh, Bubblebeam, Peck, Bide, and Whirlpool,” Crowley read. “Does that help?” 

Aziraphale smiled, “Yes, indeed it does.” 

* * *

The men stood their ground in front of the cave, their hands on their guns in case there was any sign of movement. They heard a splash, but before they could even realize it, a large whirlpool flew towards them. Their cries were muffled as they were sucked into the vortex and tossed around. 

“Alright dear, you can set them down now,” Aziraphale said. Piplup nodded and tossed the whirlpool aside, ending the attack and sending the guards flying into a nearby cliff wall. They fell to the ground, unconscious. 

“Piplup!” Piplup put his flippers on his hips and puffed out his chest proudly. 

“Well done, dearheart,” Aziraphale praised, rubbing Piplup’s head. 

“Clever plan, angel,” Crowley grinned. They hurried into the tunnel, but Crowley quickly pulled them into a corner as two more guards were standing at the entrance to the shrine at the end of the cavern with a Raichu and a Dugtrio by their side, both Alolan. 

“Get in your Pokeball, Piplup,” Aziraphale said, recalling the small Pokemon. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.” 

“He may have no choice if push comes to shove,” Crowley gestured to the guards and their Pokemon. “Any shadows?” 

Aziraphale shook his head, “No, none; I imagine because we stole most of them.” 

“Good,” Crowley pulled out some Pokeballs, “That means we can get some bonding time with some of our newcomers.” Crowley let out Stunfisk and Noibat. “Don’t be afraid to jump in if you can, angel,” Crowley added before getting up and striding towards the guards. 

“Oh, um, right,” Aziraphale mumbled before following. 

Crowley won the battle fairly easily, sending the guards on the run, although Noibat took quite a bit of damage, forcing Crowley to switch it out with Gossifleur. They hurried into the main area where a large ancient-looking stone sat in the middle of a round clearing. But unfortunately, there was a Seraph and an Alolan Muk standing in front of it, seemingly about to set up explosive charges. 

“Kidnapping, taking hostages, and now desecrating monuments?” Crowley asked, making the Seraph jump and whirl around. “You guys are just going down the list of becoming despicable human beings, aren’t you?”

“Wha…” The Seraph blinked and pointed at him. “You’re the one on the blacklist! How did you get past the guards?!” 

“Blacklist?” Crowley raised his eyebrows. “Damn, I’ve never been  _ that  _ popular.” 

“Crowley, you know that means the Archangels want you dead, right?” Aziraphale managed, baffled by how calm he was. 

“Relax, angel,” Crowley said, before facing the Seraph again. “So what’s your deal here? Why are you blowing up this shrine?” 

“This Relic Stone supposedly draws power from Celebi,” The Seraph snapped. “It has to be destroyed if our plan is to succeed!” 

Crowley blinked, “Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually tell us outright.” 

The Seraph blinked as well and then turned red, “I’ll show you!” He pulled out a Pokeball and sent out an Obstagoon. 

Aziraphale tensed, “Crowley,” 

“Got it,” Crowley nodded; these guys sure were taking a lot of trips to the Galar region for their Shadow Pokemon. At least they only had one to deal with, but that Alolan Muk could be trouble if they didn’t watch it. Snagging the Obstagoon first was the best plan.

“Muk, use Minimize! Obstagoon, Shadow Rush!” 

Crowley ordered Gossifleur and Stunfisk to Shadow Rush, but Obstagoon easily slapped Gossifleur and Stunfisk away, Stunfisk landing in the water as it fainted, and Gossifleur landing behind the stone. 

Crowley recalled Stunfisk and got ready to call out another Pokemon, but the Obstagoon was faster. “What the-?!” Crowley found his arms pinned as the Obstagoon held him from behind in a tight hold. 

“Crowley!” Aziraphale exclaimed. Muk was advancing on Aziraphale who was now backed against the wall. What?! When did it get over there?! Oh shit...the Minimize! It had shrunk itself and snuck past completely! 

“HQ told us all about your little Snag tactics,” The Seraph sneered. “So I’m gonna improvise!” 

Aziraphale whimpered as he pressed himself against the wall, Muk stretching up and towering over him with that sinister grin. What could he do?! What- 

“Aziraphale!” Crowley yelled. “You have a Pokemon, remember? Use it!” 

Aziraphale blinked and reached for his pocket. But he paused. Could he do this? The second it took to ask that question allowed Muk to slink over and cover his legs. Aziraphale cried out as he fell over, the Muk creeping up his body, making it impossible to reach for Piplup. 

“Angel!” Crowley yelled. 

“Get off me!” Aziraphale wailed. Crowley tried to move but Obstagoon kept a tight grip on him. 

The Seraph laughed, “Kill the rogue Obstagoon; then we can take the target to the boss!” 

“No!” Aziraphale yelled as Crowley struggled in Obstagoon’s now tighter grip. He could feel his bruises flaring up on his ribcage, making it more difficult to breathe. 

Aziraphale fought against the multicolored goop of the Muk on top of him, but it just served to get him even more tangled up. He was helpless to watch as Crowley was having the life literally squeezed out of him, and all because he had frozen up like an idiot! “CROWLEY!” 

“Use Psychic!” 

Muk suddenly glowed and was lifted off Aziraphale. Aziraphale looked to see a Gardevoir in the entranceway, her eyes aglow with a bright blue light. The Gardevoir flicked her wrist and the Muk was sent flying into the wall while her trainer made herself known. 

“Anathema!” Aziraphale cried happily. “Anathema, you have to help Crowley!” 

Newt appeared not long after her, a Magnezone hovering beside him. “Get ‘em, Newt,” Anathema said, pointing to the Obstagoon. 

“Right,” Newt nodded. “Use Zap Cannon!” Magnezone flew forward and shot the attack at Obstagoon’s back, making it drop Crowley. 

Crowley gasped for breath as he slumped to the ground, and Aziraphale hurried to his side. “Crowley, are you alright?!” 

“I’ll live…” Crowley wheezed, before looking up. “Hey Gossifleur, you okay?!” 

The Pokemon appeared on top of the Relic Stone with a triumphant cry, when the stone started to glow. Everyone stopped what they were doing as green light surrounded Gossifleur before flashing, and a glimpse of purple seemed to vanish. Gossifleur then blinked and looked around like it had just woken up from a trance. 

“Gossifleur?” Crowley called carefully. The Pokemon looked at him, but without any malice, tilting its head in innocent confusion.

“Crowley…” Aziraphale breathed. “The shadows...they’re gone!” 

“What?!” Crowley and the Seraph both exclaimed. Crowley whipped out his PDA, and sure enough, the move Shadow Rush was gone, and all its original moves were restored. Gossifleur then let out a cry and started to glow again, but this time, it was white. 

“No way…” Crowley breathed as Gossifleur began to grow in size; there was no way they could be this lucky! 

The glow faded and an Eldegoss stood in Gossifleur’s place. 

Crowley took advantage of everyone still watching in shock; may as well make use of those new moves. “Eldegoss! Petal Dance!” Eldegoss obeyed instantly, and a flurry of petals surrounded Obstagoon, trapping it. 

Crowley finally reached into his jacket and sent out another Pokemon. “Wooloo, Shadow Rush!” Wooloo did so, and the Obstagoon went flying as Crowley loaded a Pokeball. He shot it from the gauntlet, and the Pokemon was snagged. 

The Seraph whimpered and tried to run, but Magnezone and Gardevoir blocked his path with dangerous glares. 

“I think a trip to the police station in Pyrite is where you’ll be headed, “Anathema said proudly. Newt nodded to Magnezone and the large Pokemon hit the Seraph with a Thunder Wave, binding him with electricity. Gardevoir then lifted him with Psychic and the two Pokemon left the shrine. 

Meanwhile, Aziraphale and Crowley were too busy staring at the once Gossifleur before them; to Aziraphale, the shadows around it were completely gone, as if they had never been there. To Crowley, the thing actually looked...friendly and normal. Was it really back to normal? 

Eldegoss went over to Crowley and gave him a bright smile; something he had never seen it do as a Gossifleur. 

“Well, I’ll be damned…” He breathed, looking at the relic stone. Now he was curious. “Hey, Wooloo,” He called out. Wooloo looked at him irritably and Crowley pointed to the Relic Stone, “Touch that for me.” 

The Wooloo looked a bit confused but wandered over, nudging the stone with its head. Once again, green light surrounded Wooloo and vanished, leaving the Pokemon a bit dazed, but looking less malicious than ever. 

“Incredible…” Aziraphale breathed; he went over and gave the Wooloo a pat, to which the Pokemon cooed happily. “The shadows are completely gone!” 

“That must be why they were after the stone,” Newt said. 

Anathema nodded, “The Relic Stone is said to carry the powers of Celebi,” She said. “Celebi’s power must have the ability to purify a Pokemon somehow.” 

Crowley breathed out a disbelieving laugh before opening his jacket, “Hey angel, which Pokemon have the least shadows?” 

“Um,” Aziraphale examined them, “Yamask and Fletchinder both have very few shadows around them.” 

Crowley sent them out and ordered them to touch the stone. The same glow enveloped them, and they were back to their normal, happy selves. Crowley and Aziraphale exchanged an excited glance. 

They had found the cure for Shadow Pokemon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Lampent, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, Blitzle, Stunfisk, Mime Jr., Noibat, Burmy, Lycanroc (Midnight), *Obstagoon  
> (*new)
> 
> Purified Pokemon: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Fletchinder


	9. Mt. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley and Aziraphale track down the Archangels' next move, leading them to one of the biggest battle facilities in Orre.

The rest of the day was spent not just recovering from the recent attack, but also gathering as much information as possible. Newt helped escort the Seraph they had captured down to Pyrite so Shadwell could interrogate him, and Anathema and Aziraphale tasked themselves with research about the Relic Stone and Celebi. 

Crowley kept watch with Corviknight and his newly purified Pokemon in case any more Archangels decided to show up. A while later, he headed back to check on Aziraphale and Anathema. “How’s it going?” 

“Decently,” Aziraphale hummed, nose still in his book. 

“The thing about Celebi having purifying powers checks out,” Anathema added. “And it looks like the only way to really summon Celebi is by using something called a Time Flute.” 

“So destroying the monument wouldn’t have gotten Celebi to come out?” Crowley asked. 

“Unlikely,” Aziraphale confirmed. “These Time Flutes can each only be used once, so you have to use them wisely.” 

“So these guys were just wasting their time…” Crowley muttered. 

“Hopefully Newt calls back soon with more news,” Anathema said. 

“Yeah, cause I do not want to sit around and wait for them to turn a bloody legendary into a Shadow Pokemon,” Crowley grumbled. “But I think we can handle it, right angel?” 

Aziraphale flinched, “Oh, um, of course.” Crowley had noticed that Aziraphale seemed a bit on edge since their battle at the Relic Stone. But he had no time to think on it, as Anathema’s video phone rang. 

“That must be Newt!” Anathema ran to the phone, followed by Aziraphale and Crowley, and picked up, Newt’s face popping up on the screen. 

“Hey An,” Newt greeted. 

“How’s it going over there?” Anathema asked. 

“Better than expected,” Newt admitted. 

“Enjoying being back at your old workplace?” Anathema teased. 

“I’ll admit, I’m getting a bit nostalgic,” Newt said sheepishly. “But anyway, Shadwell’s barely given this guy time to breathe; one threat and he just spilled everything.” 

“So where are they heading next?” Crowley asked. 

“According to the seraph, the Archangels are looking for Time Flutes.” “Speak of the devil,” Crowley muttered. 

“The Time Flutes are here in Orre?” Aziraphale asked. 

Anathema nodded, “Yeah, but they're as rare Celebi; there are only four Time Flutes known to have been made.” 

Newt nodded, “And they’re heading for the closest known one; at Mt. Battle.” 

“Is that a battle facility?” Aziraphale asked. 

“Yeah, it’s a bunch of battlefields that climb a volcano; higher you get, the harder the battles,” Crowley asked. “Not a lot of people make it all the way up; figures something like a Time Flute would be there.” 

“The seraph’s failure was already reported by the time we captured him,” Newt continued. “They’re likely already on their way to Mt. Battle now.” 

“Then we better move,” Crowley said. 

“Thanks for all the help, Newt,” Anathema said. 

“I’ll be home soon,” Newt waved and hung up. 

“Are you sure you’re well enough to travel?” Anathema asked. 

“Honestly, getting crushed by that Obstagoon didn’t feel nearly as bad as taking a Shadow Rush to the stomach,” Crowley said. “I’ll live.” Aziraphale winced. “You ready to go, angel?” 

“Oh! Um, yes, of course!” 

“Be careful out there,” Anathema said. 

Aziraphale nodded and walked out the door; Crowley made to follow but Anathema stopped him. “You keep him safe, you hear me? He’s the only decent friend I have,” She hissed. 

Crowley snorted, “Nothing’s gonna touch him, cross my heart,” Crowley said.

* * *

The drive to Mt. Battle was quiet. A bit too quiet for Crowley’s liking. He kept glancing at Aziraphale, expecting him to be ready to fight the enemy like he was in Pyrite, but instead, he looked downright gloomy. “Something on your mind?” Crowley asked. 

Aziraphale fiddled with his fingers, “Er, well...I suppose you could say that…” Aziraphale glanced at him, seeing Crowley giving him that look, the one that said to spit it out. Aziraphale looked away, “Well...you see, I- WATCH OUT!” 

Crowley looked up to see someone dead in the path of his car. He managed to swerve at the last second and slam on the brakes. “Arceus in Heaven…!” Crowley growled. 

The two gazed out of the window and saw that the near victim seemed to be a trainer, running for his life. 

Crowley looked forward and blinked at the sight of the base of a volcano where multiple trainers were evacuating the premises. “Oh, we’re here,” He opened his door. “And it looks like the Archangels have been here for a while; c’mon angel, let’s relieve them of their supply of shadows.” 

“Crowley, wait!” 

“What?” Crowley turned around but stopped short as Aziraphale looked downcast as he stood beside the car. He looked scared, like when Crowley first met him. “Angel?” Crowley asked carefully. 

Aziraphale’s lip seemed to quiver. “Crowley, I...at the relic stone, I...I’m sorry…!” 

Crowley blinked. “Wha-” 

“You told me to use my Pokemon, but I...I couldn’t move and...oh Crowley, you were almost killed! If I hadn’t frozen like that, then you could have...I should have-” 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Crowley gripped Aziraphale’s shoulders. “That doesn’t matter; we got out of it, didn’t we?” Aziraphale looked at him with teary eyes. “Oh c’mon, angel, I’m terrible with tears,” Crowley said. “Besides, it was more my fault than anything; you’ve never battled before, and I just threw you into the deep end and told you to swim.” 

“But even so-” 

“Aziraphale, it’s alright,” Crowley said seriously. “It was one battle, not the end of the world, hell, no one’s first battle goes perfectly; you’ll get it next time.” 

Aziraphale smiled a bit and wiped his eyes, “Well...with that said...does that offer to have some of those Shadow Pokemon still stand?” He seemed to stand taller. “I think I’m...quite done watching from the sidelines.” 

Crowley grinned, “Hell yeah it does.”

* * *

Aziraphale chose to arm himself with a few purified Pokemon and a few Shadow Pokemon. He took Wooloo and Fletchinder, as well as Swadloon, Noibat, and Mime Jr. Aziraphale took a deep breath as he followed Crowley into the main lobby of Mt. Battle. The place was eerily deserted, so Crowley and Aziraphale made their way straight to the entrance of Mt. Battle. 

“Goodness…” Aziraphale gazed at the impressive structure. Large platforms climbed the volcano, only connected by a set of rusty metal stairs that eventually led to a small building near the summit. “Has the volcano erupted at all?” 

“Been dormant for hundreds of years, supposedly,” Crowley shrugged. “Let’s not tempt fate by talking about it…” They started up the stairs. “Normally there’s at a challenger on every platform, but I guess they all turned tail once the Archangels came in.” 

“I certainly hope everyone got out safely,” Aziraphale agreed. 

They reached the fifth platform when an Archangel Seraph appeared in front of them. “Wha- you two?!” She exclaimed. “How do you keep showing up wherever we go?!” 

Crowley shrugged, “I dunno, how do you know  _ you  _ guys aren’t just showing up wherever  _ we  _ go?” 

The Seraph growled and pulled out two Pokeballs, “I’m taking you right to the boss!” She sent out a Cacturne and a Camerupt. 

Crowley glanced at Aziraphale who shook his head; no shadows here. “Hey, how about we tag team this?” Crowley asked. “To ease you in this time.” 

Aziraphale smiled. “That sounds lovely, my dear.” 

“Alright then,” Crowley whistled and Corviknight landed on the battlefield with a loud cry. 

Aziraphale took out a Pokeball, “I suppose I owe you a proper battle; Piplup, your assistance, if you please!” The small Pokemon emerged from the Pokeball and stood bravely next to the massive Corviknight. Aziraphale took a deep breath; he wasn’t going to freeze up this time, he wasn’t! 

“Alright, Coviknight, Quick Attack on Cacturne!” Crowley started. The bird took flight and landed speedy attacks on the cactus. “Whenever you’re ready, angel.” 

Aziraphale flinched. “Er, right! Piplup, um, use Bubblebeam! Er, on Camerupt!” Piplup nodded and obeyed. The attack hit but Camerupt remained upright and ready to go. So far so good… 

“Cacturne, use Energy Ball on Piplup!” 

Aziraphale sucked in a breath as the ball of green was shot at the penguin. “Piplup, watch out!” Piplup flailed and ran away as fast as possible but the shockwave of the attack hitting the ground sent the poor thing flying. Corviknight flew over to help but the Seraph smirked. 

“Camerupt, Rock Tomb!” Camerupt summoned large rocks and tossed them at Corviknight. They hit directly, causing Corviknight to land on the ground, the boulders trapping parts of his wings. 

“Shit, you okay?” Crowley called. Corviknight screeched and started trying to free himself. 

“Now, use Fire Spin on Piplup!” The Seraph called. Right when Piplup looked up Camerupt shot the vortex of flames at it. The vortex surrounded Piplup, causing the small Pokemon to cry out in pain as the flames burned it. 

“Piplup!” Aziraphale cried. Everything was already going wrong! He knew he wasn’t cut out for battling- 

“Angel, relax!” Crowley put a hand on his shoulder and Aziraphale realized he had been breathing rapidly. “Just take a deep breath, and think it through; you’re a clever one, Aziraphale, you can do this.” 

Aziraphale stared at Crowley before nodding and doing what he said. He took a deep breath and looked back at the scene before him. Piplup was getting hurt from the Fire Spin, but with Corviknight occupied there would be no way to get out. He had to take advantage of it somehow.

Suddenly, the answer came to him. “Piplup! Use Bide!” 

Piplup lit up and curled into a ball. The small Pokemon glowed as it absorbed the damage it was being given. “Caturne, knock that Piplup out! Twinneedle!” Cacturne fired at Piplup, and the small Pokemon took the two attacks. 

“That’s it dearheart...hang in there…” Aziraphale said softly. Piplup continued to glow and the Seraph rolled her eyes. 

“Cacturne, Needle Arm that pipsqueak off the mountain!” Cacturne’s arm lit up and it charged towards Piplup. Aziraphale sucked in a breath and waited; and right when Cacturne was close enough- 

“Now, Piplup!” The small penguin unleashed Bide, and a wall of white energy flew out of the rings of flames and blew Cacturne back. 

“There you go, angel!” Crowley exclaimed happily. At that moment, Corviknight had freed itself from the Rock Tomb. “Corviknight, Whirlwind those flames out!” Corviknight flapped its wings and the flames disappeared, letting Piplup sigh in relief. 

The Seraph growled. “Cacturne, Needle Arm again on Piplup! Camerupt, Take Down on Piplup!” Both Pokemon charged at Piplup. 

“Oh now that’s just not nice,” Crowley tsked. “Corviknight, give Piplup a lift!” Corviknight flew over and swooped Piplup onto his back, causing Cacturne and Camerupt to miss. 

“Thank you for that, my dear.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

The Seraph now looked very irritated. “Cacturne, Protect! Camerupt, Earthquake!” Cacturne surrounded itself with a green shield and Camerupt went on its hind legs before stomping the platform. 

The platform shook madly and Corviknight quickly took flight; Aziraphale almost stumbled right off the edge, but Crowley grabbed his hand at the last second. He pulled Aziraphale closer so as to help them balance. “What the hell, lady?! You trying to bring the whole mountain down?!” 

The Seraph grinned, “No, just you; and now it’s your Pokemons’ turn! Cacturne, Pin Missile!” The Cacturne aimed its arms at the sky and multiple rapid-fire glowing needles shot towards Corviknight. 

“Oh shit, get out of there!” Crowley yelled. 

“Piplup; use Whirlpool to stop the needles!” Aziraphale called quickly. Piplup jumped up and off Corviknight and unleashed Whirlpool. Piplup tossed the attack and the needles were quickly swallowed by the giant mass of water, which then fell and hit the two opposing Pokemon.

“Nice!” Crowley exclaimed as Camerupt was down for the count, leaving only Cacturne. Corviknight caught Piplup and flew around. “Alright, I’ll take the other one; Corviknight, Aerial Ace!” The large bird flew down at top speed and landed a direct hit. Cacturne hit the ground and fainted next to Camerupt. 

“Oh well done!” Aziraphale exclaimed. 

The Seraph growled as she returned her Pokemon. “The boss is gonna hear about this!” And she ran back up the way she came. 

Crowley laughed and nudged Aziraphale happily, “See, what’d I tell you; you’re a natural, angel!” 

Aziraphale blushed and looked away bashfully, “Well I...I have watched many battles so...I suppose I picked up a thing or two.” 

“Pip piplup!” Piplup cheered from Corviknight’s back. 

“Good job, mate,” Crowley pet Corviknight. “Why don’t you and Piplup keep watch up above for a bit? You two make a hell of a team,” Corviknight nodded and flew off with Piplup in tow. 

“My...that was so...invigorating!” Aziraphale exclaimed, nearly jumping for joy. “I can see why battles are so coveted after!” 

Crowley grinned happily, “Well, looks like I won’t be battling these guys alone anymore, good to know.” 

They hurried up to the top platform where a young man was curled up in pain on the ground with a familiar wormy man standing over him. “Oh great, you again,” Crowley groaned. 

Sandalphon turned around and scowled. “I could say the same to you,” Sandalphon growled before glaring at Aziraphale. “Why is it that my underlings can never seem to get their hands on you?!”

“Well, I’m not just going to come quietly,” Aziraphale said with a humph. 

Crowley looked past Sandalphon at the gasping victim, who was likely the Area Leader of Mt. Battle. “What did we miss here?” 

“He was simply...being difficult about the location of the Time Flute,” Sandalphon said gleefully. “So I took care of him the old-fashioned way.” 

“You take his lunch money too?” Crowley sniped. 

“You're not getting your hands on that Time Flute,” Aziraphale said indignantly. “We beat you once before, we’ll do it again!” 

Sandalphon laughed, “Oh we’ll see about that.” 

Crowley huffed, “So, are you gonna play fair this time, or-” Crowley sighed as Sandalphon sent out his two Machoke and two Primeape at the same time. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Crowley sent out Eldegoss and Blitzle. Aziraphale glanced at the familiar Pokemon before sending out Mime Jr. and Noibat. 

“Hoping to get some type advantages in, angel?” Crowley asked. 

“Well, we’ll need all the help we can get,” Aziraphale said. “He may have a secret strategy.” 

“So our target is going to battle as well?” Sandalphon asked gleefully. “Perfect; I can drag you back myself when I crush your Pokemon into the ground.” 

“Hey, don’t underestimate your enemies,” Crowley called out. 

“Go on; have fun!” Sandalphon called to his Pokemon, and they all charged. 

“Arceus, that’s obnoxious…” Crowley muttered. “Looks like we got a free-for-all on our hands; can you handle it, angel?” 

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out,” Aziraphale said. 

Crowley grinned. “That’s the spirit; Eldegoss, Petal Dance!” Eldegoss obeyed and a flurry of petals surrounded the four Pokemon; it felt so good to have Pokemon that actually did what he said without fear of Hyper Mode. 

“Alright...Noibat, Mime Jr., Shadow Rush!” Aziraphale ordered. 

“You too, Blitzle, and don’t hold back!” Crowley added. The three Pokemon charged, creating three shadowy comets that hit three of Sandalphon’s four Pokemon, specifically both Primeapes and one Machoke. 

“Eldegoss, Razor Leaf!” Sharp leaves shot out of Eldegoss and hit the remaining Machoke. Mime Jr. got a bit excited as it started to run around; Aziraphale could see it was in Hyper Mode from the spike in shadows. 

“Mime Jr. that’s quite enough!” Aziraphale called. Mime Jr. slowed to a stop and calmed down a bit. Sandalphon’s army attacked in a flurry of Karate Chops and Low Kicks, but all of Aziraphale and Crowley’s Pokemon held strong. 

“One more round oughta do it,” Crowley said. 

“Right!” Aziraphale nodded. With another round of Shadow Rushes and one more wave of Petal Dance, all four Pokemon keeled over in defeat. Crowley grinned but it faded as he looked at Sandalphon. His four Pokemon were down, yet...Sandalphon didn’t seem worried. 

The last time he did that was at Pyrite City when he...oh no...

“I got myself a new toy,” Sandalphon pulled out an Ultra Ball. “I hope you’ll play nice with it.” He tossed the Pokeball, and a figure appeared. When the light faded, Crowley and Aziraphale felt the blood drain from their faces. 

Floating in front of them, was one of the legendary Guardians of Alola. One of the four Tapus; Tapu Bulu. 

“What the actual fuck?!” Crowley couldn’t help but exclaim. Sandalphon got his hands on a fucking Legendary?! And how the fuck did he manage to get bloody Tapu Bulu?! 

Crowley then heard Aziraphale suck in a breath and froze, on top of the maniacal growling the Legendary was making. “Oh no...no no no, angel, don’t tell me…!” 

“I’m afraid it is, my dear...” Aziraphale said, his voice shaking. “That Legendary Pokemon...it’s a Shadow Pokemon...!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boss time!!
> 
> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Lampent, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, Blitzle, Dreadnaw, Impidimp, Stunfisk, Mime Jr., Noibat, Burmy, Lycanroc (Midnight), Obstagoon  
> (*new)
> 
> Purified Pokemon: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Fletchinder


	10. Legendary Pokemon and how to Get them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale and Crowley face down one of the legendary Guardians of Alola

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…” Crowley grumbled as he tried desperately to keep from shaking in his boots. Tapu Bulu’s glare certainly wasn’t helping.

“Oh, I am not kidding you,” Sandalphon said gleefully. “And this Shadow Pokemon is a bit more...advanced than the others.” He reached into his pocket and took out what looked like a small clicker. “Legendary Pokemon have more abilities than just their moves, you know.”

“Yeah, but...doesn’t being all shadowy just up and delete almost all their moves?” Crowley asked, trying to keep his cool.

“Indeed it does,” Sandalphon said. “But our scientists have found a way to...connect with those abilities, but only once,” He grinned in a way that made Crowley sick. “Tell me, do you know what Tapu Bulu’s other powers are?”

Aziraphale swallowed, “It’s...controlling plant life, is it not?”

“But there are no plants anywhere, we’re on a bloody volcano!” Crowley added.

“True,” Sandalphon’s smile didn’t go away. “There’s no plant life now...but all the fertile soil below us could change that,” He pointed the clicker at the Tapu. “All it needs...is a little divine intervention.”

_Click!_

Tapu Bulu’s red eyes glowed even more than usual and it let out a cry as the bell on its tail rang. Sound waves rippled through the air, causing Aziraphale and Crowley to cover their ears, unaware that the ground below them was starting to shift. Tapu Bulu then raised its arms and a loud rumbling shook the platform.

Before Crowley could even realize what was happening, green vines shot up behind them. “Azira-”

Vines crashed into them, sending their Pokemon flying. Crowley curled into a ball as he tumbled a bit before stopping. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a small cavern of greenery, with only a few small holes letting light in. He was trapped under the vines.

“CROWLEY!!” Crowley’s heart leaped in terror at Aziraphale’s voice. He threw himself against the nearest hole and looked out to see Aziraphale up near the Tapu. Vines were constricting his arms and legs tightly, making Aziraphale whimper and shake in pain as he hung next to the silently terrifying Guardian.

“Angel!” Crowley yelled. “Shit...Blitzle! Eldegoss!” But the Pokemon didn’t respond. Straining his vision, Crowley could see that all four of their Pokemon were knocked out.

Sandalphon’s laughter rang through the air. “Not so strong now, are you?” He sneered, pocketing the clicker. “You should be honored; this is just a glimpse of what Shadow Pokemon can do!”

“You’re...insane…!” Aziraphale choked out.

Sandalphon chuckled, “Perhaps, but it’s no better than your attempts to rid Pokemon of true power,” He said. “Tell me, what do you see?” He gestured to Tapu Bulu. “Nothing but pure raw strength, no longer hindered by its emotions, morals, or fear. Without fear, these Pokemon are nearly unstoppable!”

Aziraphale bit his lip as the massive shadows around Tapu Bulu seemed almost alive. Unlike the normal Shadow Pokemon, Aziraphale couldn’t see even a sliver of light that remained. The Tapu’s heart and mind were completely and utterly closed. It was the equivalent of a weapon.

“Now, I’ll show you just how powerful this power can be,” Sandalphon said, his eyes falling on the vines that contained Crowley.

Aziraphale’s eyes widened and he struggled, “No! No please, don’t!” He looked pleadingly at the Alolan Guardian. “Tapu Bulu, please, you can’t do this! You’re a Guardian of people and Pokemon, please don’t hurt him!” The Pokemon didn’t even acknowledge him.

“Shadow Rush.”

“NO!” Aziraphale screamed as the Tapu charged at top speed like a terrifying machine. Crowley threw himself away from the wall of vines as the Pokemon crashed into it, at top speed. The vines barely stopped it, but it still made a big enough opening in the cavern of vines that the next one would hit dead on.

It began to dawn on Crowley that they were just about fucked. The only thing that could likely get rid of these vines quickly was fire, but the only fire type they had was Fletchinder. And with Aziraphale trussed up, there was no way he could send the Pokemon out! Tapu Bulu growled as it removed itself from the vine wall and backed up again to get another shot. With the hole now big enough, Crowley was able to jump and roll out of the way before the next Shadow Rush crushed him.

Crowley then heard a loud screech. He looked up to see Corviknight and Piplup flying down at top speed. Corviknight’s wings lit up and he flew past the vines holding Aziraphale up, letting the still bound man fall back onto the platform. Corviknight then headed over to keep the Tapu distracted.

“Piplup!” The small penguin jumped off the large bird and ran over to Aziraphale. “Piplup pip!”

“Oh dearheart, you came just in time!” Aziraphale cried happily. “Can you get me out of this?”

“Lup!” Piplup nodded and it’s beak glowed and grew longer. The penguin began pecking away at the thick vines. Meanwhile, Corviknight was doing its very best to attack, but Tapu Bulu either wasn’t bothered by the effective flying moves or was choosing not to show it.

“Get that pest out of the way,” Sandalphon said dully. Tapu Bulu snarled and rose into the air before zooming towards Corviknight with Shadow Rush.

“Corviknight!” Crowley yelled as the attack hit, sending the bird crashing to the ground. Crowley scrambled over to the bird’s side, kneeling by his head. “Corviknight…! Hey! Can you hear me?!” Corviknight let out a weak cry, his eyes half-lidded.

Aziraphale looked on in horror, as he was finally free from his trappings, but he then saw Tapu Bulu rising up, setting its sights right on Crowley. “Crowley! Look out!” The Tapu charged right as those words left Aziraphale’s mouth. Crowley could only look up as the shadow clad legendary zoomed towards him. “Fletchinder, Flame Charge!”

A flaming ball appeared from the side and slammed into Tapu Bulu, knocking him off course. Crowley blinked and looked to see Aziraphale slowly getting up with Piplup; he was really getting the hang of this! However, not even fire seemed to hinder Tapu Bulu, as it raised an arm and swatted Fletchinder away like it was a leaf.

“Fletchinder!” Aziraphale ran up and caught the bird before it hit the ground, but the Pokemon was down for the count. But poor Aziraphale wasn’t ready for what was coming next as Sandalphon’s fist suddenly collided with his face. Aziraphale toppled over from shock and received a kick in the stomach as well. Piplup angrily charged at the Archangel but was kicked aside. “Piplup!” Aziraphale cried.

“Finish that one, Tapu Bulu,” Sandalphon growled, keeping a foot on Aziraphale’s chest to keep him pinned. Crowley looked up as Tapu Bulu took aim again, his mind and heart racing. What could he do? Any Pokemon he let out would just get pummeled in one hit! Nothing seemed to weaken this thing!

Crowley made to cover Corviknight in a vain attempt to shield the large bird when he saw a flash from his jacket. With a burst of light and a hiss, Arbok suddenly emerged from her Pokeball unprompted, flying right towards Tapu Bulu.

“ARBOK, NO!” Crowley screamed.

Arbok hissed and took the attack head-on. However, instead of falling to the ground, the snake took the opportunity to wrap herself around the legendary Pokemon. This move shocked everyone, even Sandalphon, who took his weight off Aziraphale, who coughed and sat up. Tapu Bulu obviously wasn’t prepared for this either, as its short arms couldn’t grip the snake enough to throw her off. The Tapu started flying around erratically, smashing itself onto the ground and into the volcano’s side in a vain attempt to get Arbok to let go.

Crowley could only watch in horror until Aziraphale’s voice snapped him out of it. “Crowley! Tell Arbok to attack!”

“What…?”

“Tapu Bulu is part Fairy type!”

Crowley’s heart stopped. Fairy type...fucking hell, why did Crowley always forget about damn Fairy types?! “Arbok! Acid! Full power!”

The snake lit up and spit a shower of poisonous liquid onto the Tapu. Tapu Bulu shrieked in pain as the hissing poison drenched its entire body. The Pokemon’s flight pattern grew more erratic, finally throwing Arbok off its being. Aziraphale rushed to the snake’s side with Piplup but it wasn’t the time for comfort as Tapu Bulu’s screams filled the air. Sandalphon watched in horror as the Guardian was rendered completely helpless as it slammed to the ground, barely moving.

With his heart in his mouth, Crowley loaded the snag gauntlet and an Ultra Ball shot into his hand. This had to work; it HAD to, or they were dead. Arceus above, please _please_ let this work! Crowley threw the Ultra Ball as hard as he could, sucking in the poison drenched Tapu.

The ball landed on the ground, the light blinking red. The whole world seemed to hold its breath as it shook; once...twice...three times...click!

Crowley’s legs gave out from under him as the ball remained still and flew back into his hand. He was so focused on the fact that they had survived that he couldn’t even relish the look of pure rage on Sandalphon’s face.

“This...isn’t over!” Sandalphon growled before hurrying away, along with the rest of his lackeys. Crowley continued staring blankly ahead, his eyes barely gracing over his and Aziraphale’s knocked out Pokemon that dotted the platform.

Aziraphale then appeared by his side, a hand on Crowley’s shoulder. “Crowley, my dear…”

Crowley looked up at him and his hand carefully brushed the red mark on Aziraphale’s cheek where he was punched. “You alright…?”

“Oh...this is nothing,” Aziraphale said calmly.

Crowley gripped Aziraphale as his mind tried to slow down, “The Pokemon…”

“I’ll take care of them, I promise,” A new voice said. The two looked up to see the Area Leader standing before them, having recovered enough from his own physical assault. “I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me...who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up,” He said. “But you and your Pokemon need to rest; come with me.”

Crowley honestly didn’t remember the trek down Mt. Battle. They arrived in the lobby at some point and both he and Aziraphale were directed to a pair of beds. Crowley’s eyes closed the moment his head hit the pillow.

* * *

A flickering tongue brushing his cheek was what finally roused Crowley after what felt like many hours of sleep he didn’t know he needed. He opened his eyes to see none other than Arbok and Corviknight over him, all their injuries healed.

“Guys…!” Crowley sat up and Arbok nestled her head into his arms instantly. Crowley deflated in relief as he hugged Arbok. Corviknight leaned in, allowing Crowley to reach up and lovingly run his fingers through the bird’s black feathers. “You two saved our asses out there…” Crowley said. “If it weren’t for you...wait, Aziraphale?”

“Over here, dear.” Crowley turned to his left to see Aziraphale sitting up in a bed next to his, sporting a few bandages on his body, Piplup in his arms. Crowley then realized he had been patched up a bit as well; guess those vines did more damage than he thought.

“What happened?” Crowley asked. “Where are we?”

“I believe we’re in the lobby of Mt. Battle somewhere,” Aziraphale said. “Neil said these were in case of emergencies if a battle went sour.”

“Neil?” Crowley asked.

“Oh, the Area Leader,” Aziraphale said. “He was very kind; I woke up a little before you did and told him everything.”

“So the Time Flute’s okay?”

“It is, and he personally saw to our Pokemon as well to make sure they were healed,” Aziraphale said. Crowley nodded, feeling relief fully take him. They had done it, the Archangels were gone (for now) and...they had a Shadow legendary Pokemon. Crowley quickly spied his jacket on the table next to his bed and dug through it before pulling out the Ultra Ball that contained Tapu Bulu. It seemed it had been healed too, because it was rattling inside the ball impatiently. Looks like Lycanroc and Obstagoon had a new friend in the section of ‘Shadow Pokemon we have to be really fucking careful about using or they’ll kill us all’.

“I see you’re all awake and counted for,” Crowley looked up to see the Area Leader in the doorway, Neil, right?

“Thank you again for all your help,” Aziraphale said, carefully getting up.

“It was nothing,” Neil shook his head. “It’s the least I could do after everything you went through.”

“Aziraphale said he told you about the Archangels,” Crowley said, wanting to move the conversation along.

Neil nodded, “He did; I believe this is what they were after.” He pulled out a flute that seemed to be made from the finest trees. It was smooth and tan, nearly perfect.

“So they do exist…” Crowley breathed, also getting up.

“They do; I only have one, I’m afraid,” Neil said. “But with that said, I think it will be the safest with you.”

Aziraphale and Crowley blinked, “A-Are you sure?” Aziraphale asked.

“I hate to admit it, but I don’t stand a chance against those Archangels and their Shadow Pokemon,” Neil said. “You two clearly know what we’re dealing with, and I have a feeling you’ll be able to put this flute to better use.”

Crowley slowly took the flute from Neil, “Well...thanks,” He said. “I guess now we just have to figure out who to use it on.”

“Oh I don’t think so,” Aziraphale said. “I think I know exactly who to use this on.” Aziraphale looked at Crowley, who was still holding Tapu Bulu’s Ultra Ball.

* * *

After arriving back at Agate Village and enduring a scolding lecture combined with a worried tirade from Anathema, they found themselves back at the Relic Stone. “Are you sure about this?” Crowley asked.

“Positive,” Aziraphale nodded. “We’ve got to try.”

Crowley nodded and took a deep breath, pulling out the Ultra Ball. He tossed it, and Tapu Bulu appeared, looking as terrifying and murderous as ever. Aziraphale wasted no time putting the Time Flute to his lips and playing it. A small tune echoed through the shrine and the Relic Stone started to glow. From the sunlight streaming in above, a small green orb floated down before it burst, revealing a small green Pokemon; Celebi itself.

Crowley and Aziraphale watched in awe as the small legendary Pokemon floated around, likely curious as to why it had been summoned. Celebi’s eyes then fell on the Tapu and its expression turned concerned.

“Please, Celebi,” Aziraphale said gently. “The door to this Pokemon’s heart has been shut; can you please open it again?” Celebi stared at Aziraphale, then at Crowley, and then Tapu Bulu before smiling. The small Pokemon cried out and began to glow with a green hue. Celebi flew around the confused Tapu, letting green light shower onto it. Tapu Bulu’s body soon began to glow as well before there was a burst as a large mass of purple seemed to eject from it and evaporate into the air.

Tapu Bulu opened its eyes, and Crowley and Aziraphale sighed in relief; they were no longer red. Celebi let out a happy sound before it flew up and out of the shrine. At the same time, the Time Flute in Aziraphale’s hands turned to dust.

“Well shit, they weren’t wrong about using it once,” Crowley commented. Tapu Bulu blinked and looked around, suddenly looking much more vulnerable then scary. “Hey there,” Crowley called gently. “You okay?” Tapu Bulu looked at the two of them.

“It’s alright,” Aziraphale said. “You’re safe now; the shadows are gone.”

“Tapu…” The Pokemon lowered itself towards the ground and Crowley held up the Ultra Ball.

“Don’t be alarmed, but I kinda had to catch you to do it,” He said. “I don’t know how you legendaries feel about that, but-”

“Bulu!” Tapu Bulu suddenly looked alarmed and started looking around.

“What’s wrong?” Aziraphale asked.

“Was it something I said?” Crowley wondered.

“Bulu bulu!” Tapu Bulu looked at the two of them and hit the ground with its tail four times.

“Four…” Aziraphale muttered. “Oh, that’s right, there are four Guardians of Alola, are you wondering where the others are?” Tapu Bulu nodded.

“I have a pretty good idea,” Crowley said glumly. “If those Archangels were able to catch Tapu Bulu…”

“Then they likely could have captured the other Tapus as well…” Aziraphale finished.

Tapu Bulu nodded again, worry in its eyes. The Tapu then moved towards Crowley and put a hand on the Ultra Ball Crowley had used to catch it. “Bulu,” It said firmly and nodding.

“What…?”

“Crowley, I think it’s saying it wants to help,” Aziraphale said. “Is that right? You want to help us find the other Guardians?”

Tapu Bulu nodded again. “Bulu bulu! Tapu!”

Crowley nodded, “I hear ya; I’d be pissed too if someone kidnapped my friends.” He glanced at Aziraphale who smiled warmly. Tapu Bulu floated up again and pointed at the roof of the cavern where Celebi floated away. “Oh, I get it,” Crowley said. “You also wanna be free to go.” The Tapu nodded.

“Well, the Tapus are all responsible for Alola, and they’re very far from home,” Aziraphale added. “So once we rescue all your friends, you want us to let you all go?”

“Bulu,” The Tapu nodded.

“What do you think, Crowley?” Aziraphale asked.

“Hey, if this means we can beat the shit out of those bastards with the power of a Tapu, that’s fine by me,” Crowley agreed. Tapu Bulu let out a satisfied cry and returned back down to normal height. “Welcome to the team,” Crowley said and returned the Guardian to its Pokeball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank god we're not nuzlocking, or that would've been a bloodbath...
> 
> Current Shadow Pokemon caught: Lampent, Helioptile, Swadloon, Lumineon, Blitzle, Dreadnaw, Impidimp, Stunfisk, Mime Jr., Noibat, Burmy, Lycanroc (Midnight), Obstagoon  
> (*new)
> 
> Purified Pokemon: Gossifleur, Wooloo, Yamask, Fletchinder, Tapu Bulu*

**Author's Note:**

> Yell at me on Tumblr @pika-ace


End file.
